Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming
by Lord Maximus
Summary: (My own version of what the original series would have been like if it had been revived.) After twenty yarhen the Colonials have not seen or heard a word of the evil Cylons that had destroyed their homes. They now live a life of peace on a new world to call home without the need for war. But are the Cylons truly gone or has war been on waiting on their new world all along?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Battlestar Galactica or any spin off series of it.**

 **I was inspired to write this after reading up on the few attempts to revive the series and a mock trailer called Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming which was actually created, produced, directed, and starred by Richard Hatch, the actor who played the original Apollo and Tom Zarek in the re-imagined series who convinced many actors from the original series, including John Colicos who played the original Baltar in an effort to convince Universal Studios to green light a new series or a motion picture.**

 **So I want to try my own attempt at writing my own version of what the original series would be like if it was revived. This contains elements of Richard Hatch's mock trailer and the cancelled Singer-DeSanto revived versions of the series which I do not own either of. I also dedicate this story to the memory of original Battlestar Galactica actors Lorne Green who played the original Commander Adama, John Colicos who like I said played the original Baltar, Jonathan Harris who voiced the Il-series Cylon Lucifer who was assigned to work with Baltar, Lloyd Bridges who played the original Commander Cain, and George Murdock who played Dr. Salik whose counterpart was Dr. Cottle on the re-imagined series and starred in Hatch's mock trailer who all sadly passed away but they have not been forgotten nor I do think they ever shall be forgotten.**

 **Because in the original Battlestar Galactica series and other televisions shows that they have stared in, they live on.**

Xxx

 _Original Series Battlestar Galactica terms:_

 _Centura – Possibly Century_

 _Yarhen – Year_

 _Quatron – Month_

 _Secton – Week_

 _Time Cycle – Day_

 _Centar – Hour_

 _Milicenton – Ten Minutes_

 _Centon – Minute_

 _Micron – Second_

 _Parsec – Ninety Million Miles_

 _Hectar – Nine Million Miles_

 _Sectar – Possibly mixed up with hectar or nine thousand miles_

 _Metric – Kilometer_

 _Maxim – Ten Meters_

 _Metron – Meter_

 _Megon – Megaton_

 _Gigon- Gigaton_

 _Radion – Rad_

 _Volton – Voltage_

 _Wavelon – Wavelength_

 _Daggit – Dog_

 _Magna- Unknown but possibly a strong mat_ _erial_

 _Tylinium - Unknown but possibly a strong mat_ _erial_

 _I wrote this list down not just to let anyone who is reading know what they mean but they can help me remember because the original series had a different set of terminologies than we do._

Xxx

 ** _There are those who believe..._**

 ** _That life here began out there, far across the Universe..._**

 ** _With tribes of humans..._**

 ** _Who may have been the forefathers of the Egyptians..._**

 ** _Or the Toltecs..._**

 ** _Or the Mayans..._**

 ** _That they may have been the architects of the Great Pyramids..._**

 ** _Or the lost civilizations of Lemuria..._**

 ** _Or Atlantis._**

 ** _Some_** ** _believe that there may yet be brothers of man..._**

 ** _Who even now fight to survive—somewhere beyond the heavens!_**

 **BATTLESTAR GALACTICA**

 **THE SECOND COMING**

 **For those who find this record I am Commander Adama and I am writing this log for anyone out there in the universe to find if we do not survive our exodus from our home which contains the truth of the war between the Cylon Centurions and the human race of the Twelve Colonies. Somewhere in our galaxy, there lived an intelligent race of serpents known as Cylons. These serpents were a warlike race that crafted a race of super intelligent machines: the Cylon Centurions. They created these machines after discovering humans were physically superior to them and the most practical form of life in the galaxy.**

 **They copied our bodies to make these machines but they were made stronger with interchangeable parts that allowed these machines to live forever. Any who opposed them were crushed beneath the unyielding onslaught and all who tried to escape were hunted down and executed. Soon even newer and more deadly models were created to assist the Cylons in their campaign of genocide. The skies of conquered worlds darkened with deadly Cylon Raiders and in space the Cylons used their giant Baseships to ensure that almost nowhere in known space were safe from the might of the Cylons. Then the Cylons created a ruler of the Centurions, a model based off of the original Cylons themselves known as the Imperious Leader.**

 **It was that point in time the reptilian Cylons allowed themselves to be overcome by their own technology and soon enough met their end at the hands of their own machine servants due to an error in their programming: eliminate everything that is imperfect and bring order to the known universe. The machine Cylons, under the command of the Imperious Leader began expanding their sphere of influence throughout the universe, conquering and enslaving all species in their reach and those that resisted were marked for extermination which is what began the Thousand Yarhen War when we defended our neighbors, the Hasaris, one of the races the Cylons attempted to enslave. It was our resistance against the Cylons that made them intent on destroying all mankind. They waged war across the Twelve Colonies of Man, driven with an almost fanatical determination to destroy the race that had resisted them.**

 **The war between man and machine waged for over a thousand yarhens with no end in sight. The Imperious Leader decreed that humanity was to be exterminated and thus utilized the technological knowledge it had been gifted with to its full potential. The Cylons rampaged across the Colonies with their advanced technologies and they overwhelmed almost all form of resistance that fought back against them. However for all the knowledge and ever increasing power the Cylons had at their disposal they had underestimated the determination of man's refusal to allow themselves to be exterminated by their own creations.**

 **The Cylons had become arrogant and they didn't believe that the humans could stop them and so they launched a campaign to wipe out the Colonies but the humans had not only stopped the attack somehow they managed to force the Cylons out of human territory. The race known as humans fought back with unpredictability and sheer cunning that allowed them to slowly push the Cylons back until both sides maintained territories of their own that split the known galaxy in half. The humans built giant warships known as 'Battlestars' to protect their worlds against the dreaded Cylon fleet while Colonial 'Vipers' fought against the Cylon fighters in the air and in space while Colonial Warriors engaged the Centurion ground soldiers in the cities, jungles, mountains and even oceans of the Colonies, reverse engineering captured Cylon technology and making advancements of their own during the small times of peace during the war. Though both sides had grown stronger through the conflict a stalemate had been reached as neither side was capable of destroying the other.**

 **One of the greatest defeats we suffered was the Battle of Molecay where the Fifth Fleet was destroyed and the flagship the Battlestar _Pegasus_ under the command of one of our greatest military leaders, Commander Cain was believed to have been lost with the fleet. Through a series of long negotiations the Cylons had finally agreed to a truce and the signing of an armistice at a remote location between their territories. While the Colonial Fleet gathered for this historic event everyone waited eagerly for this historic event that is perhaps the single greatest moment in the history of the Twelve Colonies. **

**What we failed to realize was that it was a trap.**

 **The liaison who claimed the Cylons were suing for peace led humanity into a trap which led to our defeat under the promise he would rule over what was left of our people. We were almost caught completely off guard and the President's Battlestar was destroyed in the opening attack but we soon realized that the attack was a diversion for another attack aimed at our home worlds, the Twelve Colonies themselves. The Cylons had slipped past our defenses and completely destroyed the Colonies by bombing our cities and left the planet unsuitable for life by poisoning the ecosystem. Billions of lives were lost as the Cylons attacked without hesitance or remorse in their directives to exterminate us.**

 **With our fleet and our homes destroyed I gathered what remaining survivors that were left and escaped our ravaged homes in a fleet of whatever ships that could carry them. Upon asking where would we go I thought back to our recorded history of how we descended from a mother civilization, a race that went out into space and established colonies. I decided to set out in search of a surviving colony that was only remembered to us only though ancient writing and was perhaps the only surviving one left in the universe that is perhaps our only chance for refuge from the Cylons. A thirteenth colony that was established by the final tribe that separated from the other twelve tribes of our home world of Kobol.**

 **This thirteenth tribe is described in legend that states that they had settled on a planet known as…Earth.**

* * *

 **Deep Space  
1.5 Parsec From Any Inhabited System**

A single small ship moved through the darkness of space with the engines making a humming sound heard only by the crew onboard. The ship was shaped like a giant bat that looked sleek with its wings angled downwards that made it resemble a bat. Onboard the ship three revolving red eyes watched the scanners and instruments with cold machine efficiency as their fighter glided through space, searching for their quarry. They had not seen their quarry for a very long time but their leaders ordered them to search all of space for those they hunted and they would continue until they carried out their orders.

Their machine minds worked together in piloting a single fighter, synchronized to the point that they weren't just pilots but the ships themselves. The pilot and the gunner sat at the front in the large cockpit while the commander sat at the rear station, observing the data the scans showed and instantly created strategies to adapt to any form of situation or what the next course of action would be. Their programming was advanced enough that they could comprehend the need for strategy and patience in long term searching and they understood that their enemy was cunning and underestimating them was dangerous.

"Scanners have detected Ion trails. Confirmed to match the trail of the Colonial fleet." The pilot stated in a cold machine tone.

"Follow the trail and send a transmission to our baseship."

"By your command."

The ship turned back in the direction of its origin but they had finally found the trail that would lead them to their prey.

The hunt was renewed.

* * *

 **New Caprica  
Capital City  
Colonial School**

"It is the seventh millennium of mankind and has been over twenty five yarhens since the end of the great war. After the destruction of our home worlds by our enemies, the machine race called the Cylons, our leaders gathered as many survivors as they could and set off through the stars to find a place of a refuge. We eventually found a planet rich in resources with a breathable atmosphere and founded a new civilization on our colony New Caprica, one that is centered around pleasure and comfort instead of war and strife life that our previous colonies lived." A woman wearing a blue uniform said to the class of children who listened to her about the history of their heritage.

"When did anyone last see the Cylons?" A boy raised his hand and asked.

"The last time the fleet encountered the Cylons was twenty yarhens ago when we escaped detection." The teacher answered.

"Why did they want to kill us?" A girl asked.

"Supposedly because we threatened them. You see we intervened when the Cylons were subjugating our neighbors and the Cylons were threatened by us which led to the great war. Some say the war lasted a thousand yarhens that were long and bloody which they were but there were short periods of peace between us as both sides needed time to rebuild their fleets and find more resources. As you all know the Cylons were originally a race of evolved reptiles that created a machine race based off of our forms to serve their needs but the machines eventually turned against them and established an empire to bring about their idea of order and perfection throughout the universe." The teacher explained. "Our fleets were more advanced but the Cylons had the numbers and it was our advanced fleets that showed the Cylons that humanity was a threat to them and their empire. At the end of the war we lost and the Cylons forced us to flee our home worlds and we traveled for over five yarhens before we found our new home."

"What about Earth? Did we ever find it?"

"No." The teacher shook her head. "Though the late Commander Adama believed Earth was real our people eventually became tired of traveling through space and decided it was best to find a planet to sustain us instead of looking for a world that might not even exist. We found New Caprica and decided to settle here, starting a new life instead of constantly wondering the stars for a planet that might not even exist or accept us."

"Does Earth really exist?" Another boy asked.

The woman hesitated. "No one really knows if Earth really exists or not."

"So what if the Cylons find us?" Another girl asked.

"No one has seen the Cylons in twenty yarhens." The teacher shook her head. "They are not coming back. Class dismissed!"

The teacher watched as her student's left the room and looked up the ceiling, sighing.

"Sometimes I think my brother is torturing me with this teacher's job." Colonel Athena muttered as she left the room.

It was cycles like these she preferred to be back on the bridge of the _Galactica_ , even when it was under attack by relentless Cylons.


	2. Chapter 2

**New Caprica Orbit  
Colonial Defence Fleet**

Through the depths of space above the planet moved giant ships resembling great enormous whales with pods attached to the sides that would be considered their 'fins' with greyish refractive armor that seemed reflect the light of the stars surrounding them, making them truly a sight of awe for anyone who was observing them. Over one thousand five hundred meters in length these ships bristled with turrets, cannons, missile launchers and other forms of weapons arrays showing that they were ships of war.

Though the owners preferred to call them Battlestars and each of them were distinguished by names proudly displayed across their hull.

 _Pegasus_

 _Galactica_

These behemoths represented the planets of the people they were built to protect and they did so heroically with the crews of these massive ships believed to be the bravest men and woman in space. They moved gracefully through the void of space, supported by destroyer and cruiser sized ships that resembled them but were smaller along with fighters moving in formation that surrounded the ships as a first line of defense for the giant ships that acted as the primary defence force of New Caprica. They were not the only ships in orbit as many ships from the original rag-tag fugitive fleet remained in orbit though many of them were considered as ancient relics due the fact that many of them were ill suited for mining from the ringed asteroid field surrounding New Caprica.

Using the resources from the asteroids new ships were built to handle the tasks of mining while the older ships were reduced to simply patrol tasks with the _Galactica_ and _Pegasus_.

* * *

 **Battlestar _Galactica_  
Commander's Quarters**

 _Commander's Log Yarhen 25, day 206:_

 _It has been twenty yarhens since the last great war. Our civilization was reborn when people of the fleet elected for permanent settlement down on the planet named New Caprica in honor of the original capital of the colonies. Though it is not the promised land my father had envisioned for our people we are still blessed by the time of peace we have enjoyed since fleeing the destruction of our homes. We have grown food, built cities, and through the hard work our civilization was reborn._

 _Of course not everything is perfect since when we first colonized this new world some of the tribes that were held together by the hope my father brought and the threat of the Cylons soon enough branched out, no longer able to work together due to tribes like the Taurions and the Borelian Nomens building their settlements away from the main cities, struggles over food and supplies, and centura old prejudices resurfacing. It is cycles like these that I actually believe we were better off traveling through space, fleeing the Cylon tyranny. At the very least people were united against a single enemy instead of each other for any reason they can think of. It saddens me that it took a genocidal war to unite us and yet we still haven't changed in all that time._

 _For the very first time a generation will grow up without seeing a Cylon, a privilege many would have traded their lives to experience a life without feeling the terror those genocidal machines had brought down on countless lives. The Cylons had almost broken humanity but we survived and had supposedly come out stronger for it but I'm not sure any lessons or wisdom was gained from the near loss of our civilization. Now though I believe our efforts may have all been in vain if we no longer remain united and become slowly torn apart by our pettiness. If we had not been united during the war we would have been long extinct and not many seem to share this belief._

 _And though our life is peaceful I am still doubtful that this peace will last. There are too few of us who remember that sometimes peace is another word for slavery as we almost experienced at the hand of the Cylons when our worlds were destroyed and our people left to look for a new home, dreaming of better times. There are those who are convinced that the Galactica and the Pegasus should be decommissioned as they are considered the holdouts of a war that has been over for yarhens._

 _I would love to see them try and convince Commander Sheba to stand down and allow the Pegasus to be decommissioned as it is the living legacy of her father Commander Cain just as the Galactica is considered my father's legacy. Earth was once beacon of hope that united us in our quest but now it is considered a fable along with the thirteenth tribe. Now the journey serves only as a reminder of darker times and the Galactica and Pegasus's time may be coming to an end if certain people have their way._

 _End Log_

Fleet Commander Apollo was silent as he looked out the reinforced transparent aluminum window in the commander's quarters which had originally belonged to his father, observing the fleet as it continued to circle the planet. Supposedly the defense fleet would be decommissioned and soon if the Council Twelve had their way and he'd be living in a cabin somewhere in the woods, away from all the loud noise. It wasn't the worst way to go but he could think of many other ways for the ship he commanded to retire that would be so much better. The warships that had represented the Twelve Colonies in the Colonial Fleet during the Thousand Yarhen War and the most well respected warship of her time, the Battlestar _Galactica_ and the Battlestar _Pegasus_.

Built during Thousand Yarhen War, around five hundred yarhens before the destruction of the Colonies and served in the worst battles with the murderous robots and recognized as one of the ships that had successfully turned the tide when the Colonies had been in danger more than once, the _Galactica_ and the Pegasus were more than just ships: they were the guardians of humanity. Well, _former_ guardians of humanity due to the fact that both giant ships were considered aging relics by the new generation that had never seen a Cylon outside of the history books and holo-novels. Larger than any of the new ships in the fleet the battlestars held over two hundred Vipers and seventy shuttles, was armed with over thirty two high energy plasma cannons nicknamed turbo-lasers for destroying missiles and asteroids with smaller anti-fighter turrets, two heavy energy plasma laser cannons for destroying capital ships, and missile launchers for solonite fusion missiles and solonite bombs making it not only a carrier and a battleship but also an orbital killer, capable of bombarding cities to the ground but luckily it only was meant for bombing Cylon bases. In addition the battlestars were powered by two large fusion reactors and a Tylium energizer that provided a great deal of power for the massive ships and their powerful weapons.

Fusion reactors had been considered only theoretical during the early days of the Twelve Colonies but during the Great War they finally managed to create stable nuclear fusion as a power source in addition to the Tylium energizer which provided a greater amount of power than anything in the Colonies. By pumping purified Tylium and plasma into the energizer where the two come into contact and the plasma ignites the Tylium which is contained by a magnetic field and the energy created by the explosion is channeled by the power distribution nodes into the ship, powering the artificial gravity, computer systems, shields, weapons, and allowing the ship's powerful ion engines to propel the ships faster than light in real space. Since they were warships the Battlestars were intended to operate for a long period of time without refuelling or restocking food or water for long periods of times. Though the Cylons had not been encountered in a long time the science department had made technological breakthroughs over the yarhens such as improving their light speed capabilities and scanning equipment to be better prepared for a possible attack.

Though it has been difficult to produce new and improved Vipers due to the Council believing that building up a new fleet of warships was pointless. They allowed the military to build lightly armed cruisers and destroyers for the purpose protecting high ranked officials but not for building a fleet to fight another war with an enemy that might not ever reappear. The _Pegasus_ and the _Galactica'_ s achievements would be remembered long after they were gone and perhaps they would name the next flagship of the Colonial Fleet, if there ever was a Colonial Fleet, Galactica or the _Pegasus_ in honor of the originals but not today.

" _Bridge to Commander Apollo._ " A female voice said through the intercom.

The man tapped the switch on the desk. "Yes?"

" _President Mara's ship is requesting permission to land, sir._ "

"I'm on my way." Apollo, Commander of the Colonial fleet and the Battlestar _Galactica_ stood up from his chair and out of his quarters.

* * *

 **Battlestar _Pegasus  
_ Core Control**

Commander Sheba sighed in relief as she walked back into the bridge of her ship, the Battlestar _Pegasus_. The _Pegasus_ was one of the last original ships of the fleet but she was just as powerful as her sister ship, the _Galactica_ and she was sort of a family heirloom for Sheba, considering that her father had commanded it since before she was born. This ship was more than just one of the capital ships of the Colonial Fleet; it represented the legacy her father had left in defending the Colonies from the Cylons, surviving the worst of the battles such as the Massacre at Molecay and the Battle of Gamoray and even finding the fleet a yarhen later while dodging Cylon patrols and attacks along the way. Her father had managed to save the ship and whatever survivors left and got them out when the Cylons destroyed the Fifth Fleet and kept them all alive which earned him praises amongst the best war heroes the Colonies ever had.

"Welcome back, Commander." Sheba's second in command, Colonel Boomer was waiting for her when she stepped back onto the bridge. "How was the party?"

"The trainees wanted to put on a big show." Sheba sighed but smiled as she sat down on the command chair of the bridge. "I almost thought I'd never make it back."

The bridge was a large circular multi-tiered room that was lit up with activity from the multiple scanners and personnel. The upper tier was a small central platform with a large console and multiple scanners and a command chair where the commanding officer would sit down or stand to observe the instruments and crewman with an officer manning the tactical and navigational scanners. The middle tier surrounded the platform in a ring where communications, engineering and FTL, and damage control stations were located and manned. The bottom level was where the helm, landing division, weapons control and air traffic stations were located and at the far end of the room behind the command station was a large 3-D dimensional chart used for tactical plotting.

And on the other side of the bridge was a transparent aluminum viewing window that was sealed during battle to prevent the crew from being sucked into space should the window be shattered.

"That bad huh?" Boomer chuckled.

Sheba shook her head. "I'll face a firing squad before I do that again."

"Nice to know, Commander."

"Commander, we are receiving a transmission from the _Galactica_." A nearby officer stated. "It's Commander Apollo. He says a gathering has been called by…President Mara."

Boomer winced as he saw the irritated look in Sheba's eyes. "I'm on my way."

* * *

 **Battlestar _Galactica  
_ Starboard Flight Pod  
Landing Bay**

Apollo stood in the landing bay as the President's ship landed, taking the chance to look around and see all assembled guards and crew were standing straight in welcoming formation. Next to him was his wife, Commander Sheba whom he could tell was irritated with the formalities. They had already been through a big party once due to the celebration of the anniversary of the founding of New Caprica. There is also the little matter of Sheba greatly disliking the current President for a few reasons.

Along with them were Colonels Boomer and along with his wife and Apollo's sister Athena and former President Tigh who had long since retired from the military and politics.

The President's ship was sleek with a circular front with small armaments on the small wings for defensive reasons due to how important she was to the government. The rear end of the ship opened up and out stepped security guards wearing the traditional black uniforms who quickly lined up on either side of the ramp and allowed a woman dressed in a white golden laced gown with brown hair tied in buns and soft blue eyes to walk out onto the _Galactica_ 's landing bay. She spotted Apollo and Sheba and slowly strode over with a soft smile on her face while two guards followed her.

"Commanders Apollo and Sheba." Mara bowed her head slightly. "Thank you for greeting me. I imagine the two of you are quite tired from a full working centare."

"Always a pleasure to have the President onboard." Apollo bowed his head in greetings.

"And it's always a pleasure to be here. I know you are anxious for some peace and quiet but today is a special centare." Mara stated.

"I know." Apollo solemnly nodded.

* * *

 **Battlestar _Galactica_  
Dining Room**

President Mara smiled as she observed the long table filled with the greatest military heroes of Colonial civilization that had come to witness this historic event. For a thousand long years the humans of the Twelve Colonies had been at war with machine menace, the Cylons. They had begun as mere robots that were created to serve their reptilian creators but only a few years after their introduction the machines turned on their masters and destroyed them. If that wasn't enough but they had also begun expanding in all direction, enslaving or destroying all that was within their reach with only the human race strong enough to stop them.

It was only the quick thinking of Commander Adama, Cain, along with the Colonial Warriors assembled at the table that humanity had managed to survive their long exodus.

Mara stood up to address the table. "Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you all for not only coming here but for your years of service in keeping our new home safe and ensuring the survival of our people. I know many of you are anxious to return to your ships or your homes but I would first like to offer a toast to the most significant history in mankind." She raised her glass. "I also raise my glass to you, not just as the commanders that saw us through the harshest of times, but also the greatest leaders ever assembled. Our people will at last find peace, thanks to you."

Everyone raised their glasses. "Peace."

Mara smiled, patting herself on the back for still having the ability to sway a crowd. "And now onto another subject, the _Galactica_ and the _Pegasus._ "

Apollo braced himself.

"The Council of Twelve and I have agreed that the battlestars should be decommissioned. They have been in service for so long and it's well known that their age limit is passed the limit for retirement and there is very little use for them anymore other than simple patrol which can be done with our newer ships." Mara stated, looking across the table. "They were made during a time of war and we are in peace times now. To simply allow them to continue is a waste of materials and personnel that have to maintain their weapons which almost are never used except when to destroy asteroids for mere weapon testing."

This was not the first time the decision to decommission the _Galactica_ or the _Pegasus_ had been discussed. It was well known that most of the new civilization considered the two battlestars as mere holdovers of a time that had long since past suggested that there was no need for warships. Of course not all of them were suggesting scuttling the _Galactica_ or the _Pegasus_ but what they had in mind was perhaps a worse fate. While military ships were usually destroyed, mothballed, or scrapped certain members of the Council had suggested that _Galactica_ and the _Pegasus_ would become a museum ships.

How the mighty have fallen.

"Madam President, with all due respect you seem to have forgotten why the battlestars were built in the first place. It was the battlestars that defended our people before and after we left the Colonies and saw them to safety." Sheba spoke up.

"Yes Commander, that is true. They have saved many lives and for that we are forever grateful but I see little reason in keeping them running." Mara replied softly.

"And what if the Cylons or some other threat appear and we are without defences?" Sheba asked rhetorically.

"No one has seen or heard of the Cylons in over twenty yarhens and we are the only civilization in this galaxy. With all due respect Commander Sheba, but you staying prepared for a war that is not coming." Mara reasoned.

"And you are ignoring the fact that we founded this new world because the Cylons destroyed our homes and killed over billions of our people during the great war. Yes, we lost the Cylons but if you believe they have stopped searching for us I am sorry to say that you are wrong." Sheba retorted.

"Sheba!" Apollo scolded, not flinching when his wife glared at him.

"No, no, it's all right, Commander Apollo. Commander Sheba is just speaking her mind and there is no crime against that." Mara raised her hand to prevent a potential fight. "And I am not ignoring the possible threat, I simply disagree that we must continue be on the lookout and act paranoid of a threat that may or may never come. We are not the Colonies where war and death were a way of life, we are a new civilization dedicated to the peace and welfare of our people."

"And the military was made to protect the welfare of our people from the Cylons or any other threat." Sheba replied.

"And we have created newer ships to deal with any outlaws in our civilization but a battlestar is hardly needed for thieves and outlaws." Mara countered. "The time for war is over, Commander Sheba."

"With all due respect Madam President, but I must agree with Commander Sheba. We can't assume that the Cylons will never find us. We have to be ready for the possibility that they might find us or we'll face death and destruction as our homes did." Commander Apollo stated.

"The Council disagrees and so do I for that matter. This is an era of peace and training for a possible war with an enemy that may never reappear is waste of resources and personnel." President Mara stood up and looked across the table. "I am sorry but the Council has ordered the _Galactica_ and the _Pegasus_ decommissioned and scuttled."

Sheba stood up and glared at the President. "I apologize for saying this Madam President but no."

"What?" Mara narrowed her eyes.

"I will not let you or the Council abandon the _Pegasus_ , my father's ship which had cared for and supported her crew for many yarhens just because you think it is not necessary anymore. It is my family's legacy and I will be dead before I allow that legacy to be abandoned and left to rot in space." Sheba stated.

"Are you refusing an order from the President, Commander Sheba?" Mara asked slowly.

"You can try and relieve me of command, Madam President but unless you brushed up on your history the crew of the _Pegasus_ stood by her commander when he was relieved by Fleet Commander Adama and we are all family on the _Pegasus_ , thicker than blood." Sheba continued with the same determined look her father had when he was going into battle. "My place is on the bridge of my ship."

"If you defy the Council's wishes you will be charged with treason." Mara looked at Apollo. "Commander, surely you don't wish for your wife to be imprisoned for treason?"

"Madam President, I don't want to fight you or the Council but I am not going to choose between my people and my family. You may believe that we are at peace and you are right but we can't just decide to scuttle our fleet." Apollo tried to reason with both women.

"He is right, Madam President. The _Galactica_ and _Pegasus_ are more than just ships; they have been homes to many of our warriors." Colonel Boomer spoke up. "The decision to decommission them will cause resentment from the military."

"I am aware of that but the Council has decreed it. The battlestars are the products of a bygone age and we have to move forward." Mara insisted. "They will be here within a secton to oversee the decommissioning and I suggest Commander Sheba that you come to accept that." She finished with a stern look at Sheba who simply glared back.

* * *

 **Battlestar _Galactica_  
Commander Apollo's Quarters**

"I can't believe that arrogant fraking galmonging snitrat! Where in Hades does she get off on insulting my father and the people on died to find this place by calling our ships relics?!" Sheba shouted as she paced back and forth in Apollo's commanders. "And why didn't you say anything?"

"What did you want me to say, Sheba? That you are right and we can't disassemble the fleet and remove our only means of defense? That she's right and the fleet is no longer necessary? That I am supposed to choose between my family and my oath to serve the Colonial fleet who serves the Colonial government?" Apollo sighed as Sheba stopped in front of him.

"I expected you to stand up and show them that the reason they are alive is because of us, my father, your father, and so many others who died to protect them." Sheba answered with a glare. "You know better than anyone that if the Council had their way we'd have been all dead on more than one occasion."

"I do but I am not going to start a civil war which you seem to be keen on doing." Apollo replied, struggling to keep things calm.

"Maybe we need one. When we were still escaping we knew the enemy was and what we had to do to survive. Now here we are and it is like nobody seems to remember why we are out here and what we had to do survive. Our people have literally forgotten just what kind of enemies we faced and how many we lost." Sheba turned away from Apollo and looked out the window.

Apollo was about to speak when buzzer rang. "Enter."

The door opened and in stepped former Colonel Tigh with a bottle of ambrosia. "Sorry, am I interrupting anything?"

"No." Apollo shook his head and watched as Tigh put the glass bottle on his desk. "What can I do for you, Colonel?"

"I am not a Colonel anymore Apollo and I'm not President anymore." Tigh said as he poured three drinks. "I imagine the decision to decommission the _Galactica_ and the _Pegasus_ is not being received well."

Apollo glanced at Sheba who walked up to the table. "It's not making people very happy."

Tigh managed a small smile as he took a sip. "This is why I never liked politics and why I preferred when emergency powers were granted to the Commander."

Sheba took a sip and smiled. "I would have like to see them try and take the _Pegasus_ if it was still being commanded by my father. I never knew how he dealt with the Council."

"Dealt with the Council?" Tigh asked, the mere idea of it sounding incredulous. "Sheba, I do not believe your father ever 'dealt' with the Council. I believe he simply nodded his head and then walked off to the next battle."

Sheba chuckled. "That sounds accurate."

"You don't believe the Council expects no one to argue this decision, do you?" Apollo asked after a sip from his drink.

"Apollo, the Council expects their orders to be carried out no matter the feelings are. They may have been respectful to your father but they never believed that a government controlled solely by the military is beneficial to the civilians. They believe us to be unimaginative with no open minds and no sense of empathy to our people who had grown tired of wandering the stars." Tigh explained.

"They won't take the _Pegasus_." Sheba stated and both men knew that there was no arguing with her. "It's not theirs to take or destroy."

"Sheba, are you planning to commit treason? There'd be no way you'd be welcome back on New Caprica again." Tigh stated.

"Perhaps but I never supported colonizing this planet from the start. I thought it was a foolish decision from a group that was quick to seize power after the man that had saved them countless times had passed away." Sheba glanced at Apollo who simply stared down at his glass. "We can't stay like this forever."

"No but starting a civil war will not help us." Apollo replied. "We need to be smart about this."

"You can say that all you want, Apollo but when they come to take the _Galactica_ you'll have to do something other than talking with the Council." Sheba said as she finished her drink and walked to the door. "I am needed back on the _Pegasus_."

Tigh and Apollo watched as Sheba left and when she was gone Tigh glanced at Apollo with a smirk. "I don't suppose you have a plan for this."

"A plan? I'll be lucky if she only takes out President and the Council." Apollo replied as he finished his drink.

"As will we all." Tigh said as he and Apollo finished their drinks.


	3. Chapter 3

_He couldn't remember what had happened but when he opened his eyes all he could see was smoke rising from the devastated city. New Caprica city built with a mix skyscrapers and pyramids that was once thriving with life now in flames much like the old Caprica was when he stepped down onto the planet following its destruction. He tried to find any survivors but there no bodies, only deathly silence._

 _STOMP!_

 _He stopped when he heard something move and looked forward, seeing a foot in the darkness. It held up its arm, holding a rifle that opened itself up, extending its length and the barrel glowed bright red. The stranger's face turned towards him and he saw to his horror a red revolving light where its eyes would be if it was human and then he heard it speak._

 _"By your command." The stranger now confirmed as humanity's greatest enemy spoke as more appeared behind it, holding rifles that looked more advanced than the ones they had used when he had last encountered them. "It is done, Imperious Leader."_

 _"Excellent." He spoke as he walked forward, observing the remains of the once great city. "At long last, the annihilation of the life form known as Man is complete."_

 _He looked over at a broken window and when he saw the reflection he screamed. When he saw who was looking back at him it was not himself but an old foe who had nearly doomed the entire human race._

 _"Greetings, Apollo. I told you we would meet again." The man spoke with sick grin. "And now my revenge is complete."_

 _"No…" He turned and watched as the Cylons marched out of the darkness and pointed their rifles at him. "This can't be."_

 _"Adama isn't here to save you this time." The man in the window said, grinning evilly. "No one will save you this time."_

 _"No…"_

 _The Centurions charged their rifles._

 _"Time to die, Apollo."_

 _The Centurions fired._

" _NO!_ "

There was a flash of light and Apollo sat up on his bed, his entire face covered in sweat as he breathed heavily, looking around and saw he was back in his quarters. Looking down next to him he saw that his wife was not with him and remembered she was on the _Pegasus._ He thought back to the dream he had of New Caprica destroyed by the Cylons and…

"Count Iblis."

After all these yarhens that monster still haunted Apollo and his wife for his attempt to take control of the fleet and trying to kill Sheba but instead killed Apollo but likely he was revived later by the people that had been referred in the ancient text of Kobol as Angels. Iblis has been driven away by the Ships of Light and had not been seen since but Sheba had mentioned that Iblis said they would meet again. Apollo stood up from the bed and walked over the window, looking for a sign that might answer why he had that dream.

Why was New Caprica in flames?

Did the Cylons finally find them again?

Did Count Iblis lead them to humanity's new home?

Was his dream a sign that the human race was in danger again?

A flash of light moved through space, catching Apollo's attention and then more lights appeared and then he immediately knew what they were.

"They're back." Apollo whispered.

* * *

 **Battlestar _Galactica  
_** **Flight Deck  
** **Training Area**

That dream had plagued Apollo for the rest of the night and he didn't feel much better in the morning as he went about his normal duties onboard the _Galactica_. As the commander of the Colonial Fleet he was to ensure all ships and their crew were performing their regular duties which included supervising the cadets who were training to be warriors. He found Bojay, former Viper pilot from the _Pegasus_ watching the group of promising cadets performing one armed push ups in the hangar bay with Vipers hanging over them from the ceiling to free up room for training. Bojay had retired as a Viper pilot and was now a flight instructor and drill sergeant, welcoming new blood into the ranks and training them to be the best warriors in the cosmos.

"Commander Apollo, nice to see you've decided to finally come down." Bojay said with a smile which Apollo returned. "We're just finishing another day of training. And I got to say they're doing great. Even Boxey."

Apollo glanced down at his son, Troy, formerly known as Boxey who had grown up through the yarhens and trained to become a warrior like his father. His son, now a grown man with dark brown hair pulled in a pony tail looked up at his father with muscular build of a man who had trained and exercised his entire life.

"Your son's gonna make a fine pilot." Bojay continued.

Apollo nodded in agreement. "Yes, he is."

The person he was referring to was not only Troy but his younger brother, Cain, named after Commander Sheba's father who was hailed as the greatest warrior the Colonies had ever known who had lived long enough to witness his grandson's birth and was overjoyed when the child was named after him, believing he would grow up to be a great warrior like the rest of his family. The Cain family was known throughout the Colonies as the best soldiers and military leaders against the Cylons and the legendary commander believed his grandson had the potential to be just as great, perhaps even greater than his parents and grandfather.

Troy, who was supervising the training looked up and saluted his father with a smile as the Commander saluted back. He then turned back to the cadets and started the next training course, fighter training in the simulator where the cadets would face scenarios recorded from the war and the exodus, including the battle Carilon, the attack on the Cylon outpost where two warriors were infected with a deadly disease, the battle at Kobol, Gamoray, and even the battle at the edge of the known galaxy where the _Galactica_ eluded Cylon detection. The greatest battles in recorded history were being put to good use to train the next generation of warriors. Of course Troy and Cain were not the only person to be related to one of Colonial Fleet's most famous warriors who was training to be warrior like them.

One of the warriors who was just standing up after finishing training for today, a woman walked over and patted Troy on the back with a smile. Her name was Cienna and she was the daughter of Lieutenant Starbuck was who presumed deceased for a long time, born from Apollo's late best friend and former medtech assistant of Dr. Salik Cassiopeia. Starbuck was lost when the Cylons found them shortly after the _Pegasus_ had reunited with the fleet and launched a surprise attack consisting of seven Basestars with an endless supply of fighters that swarmed the Colonial fleet. Starbuck had pulled of a daring maneuver with Cain, tricking two Cylon Baseships into ramming into each other, helping the _Pegasus_ destroy a third Basestar and buying the fleet enough time to escape through a nearby asteroid field.

However the Cylons hounded them for what felt like sectons despite having endured their attacks since the destruction of the Colonies, which it probably was, forcing the fleet to be on alert 24/7 for Cylon attack and during an ambush a Cylon fighter damaged his engines and his thrusters, preventing him from returning to the fleet and he was too far for the fleet to mount a rescue. It was on that day that a great many people mourned his disappearance and Cassiopeia would later learn she was carrying a child, a daughter she named Cienna. She was raised not only by her mother but also by Starbuck's closest friends and had grown up around the stories of her father and the sacrifices he made to ensure that humanity would survive. Like her foster brothers and her deceased father Cienna had applied for the Colonial Academy, training to be a warrior but also studied up on advanced computer systems and medical technology thanks to the efforts of her 'aunt' Athena and her mother. Cienna was pretty much considered the genius of the next generation since her subjects tended to fly over the heads of her foster brothers while her mother, while not happy that her daughter was training to be a warrior like her father she did not stand in the way.

Cienna had the same stubborn streak as her father and she was just as skilled and reckless as he was despite living in a so-called peaceful time.

Cassiopeia had regretted not admitting her feelings for Starbuck, despite the fact that the ace pilot was weary of relationships even though he did love her. Then there were the trainees who were considered war orphans who had signed to be warriors because they had no place to go on New Caprica such as Troy's best friend Dillon who shared many qualities as Starbuck but was more responsible and didn't smoke. The orphans came from the Orphan ship and most of them had grown up listening to the stories of the Colonial Warriors that protected the fleet during their flight from the Cylons.

These orphans also included Captains Kir'oss who was part of the Blue Squadron, Captain Temel of Silver Spar Squadron from the _Pegasus_ , Lieutenant Tristin of Blue Squadron and Lieutenant Atilla who was also part of the Blue Squadon. These trainees were at the top of their class and it was agreed that they would make great pilots in the future.

"These cadets have no idea what they're in for." Apollo whispered.

Bojay glanced at Apollo. "What do you mean?"

Apollo shook his head. "Nothing. Do you know where Colonel Tigh is?"

"I believe he is down on New Caprica." Bojay answered.

Both men ignored the fact that Colonel Tigh had long since retired as a Colonel and the Colonial President but to them he would always be the Colonel who stood by the late Commander Adama as they fled their home worlds from the Cylon threat.

"I'll be down on New Caprica." Apollo nodded and walked away.

* * *

 **New Caprica Colony  
** **Capital City  
** **Tigh's Apartment**

New Caprica City was modeled much after the original Caprica city with tall skyscrapers and giant pyramid shaped buildings that were modeled after the pyramids on Kobal that were the castles and resting places of the great Lords who shaped much of the Colonial civilization. Airborne vehicles moved back and forth, transporting supplies and people to their destinations while on the ground countless citizens walked down the streets, going about their everyday business.

"You say the Ships of Light are back?" Former Colonel Tigh asked, sitting in a chair as Apollo paced back and forth in Tigh's apartment.

"I know it sounds odd but I saw them." Apollo stated, facing Tigh for milisecton. "They're out there somewhere and based on the last few encounters we had with them something is about to happen that will affect the entire colony."

"Are you sure this not a nightmare brought on by the lack of sleep?" Tigh asked. "You have been stressed because of your wife and the president."

"It'd be easy to say that but Tigh you know what has happened when those ships appeared." Apollo replied.

"And what can we do? We can't find them or contact them. They can outrun any ship we have." Tigh sighed.

"I know…But I feel that something might happen." Apollo said, running a hand through his hair. "I need your help."

"What do you think I can do? Why not go to Sheba?" Tigh asked.

"I would tell her in a heartbeat if she wouldn't put the fleet on high alert and cause a fight between us and the Council. We need prove that there is something out there and I need time. You can buy me the time I need." Apollo explained.

"How? I'm not the president anymore." Tigh stated.

"But you still have influence on the Council. They listened to my father and they listened to you when you took his place." Apollo replied.

"And I did a good job of trying to fulfill my promise to your father to find Earth." Tigh mumbled. "I didn't have the strength he had to keep the voyage going."

"None of us had the strength. When we thought we lost the Cylons for good we thought the danger was over." Apollo looked out the window. "But if I am right we need to be ready."

Tigh closed his eyes before looking up at Apollo with a smile. "You've come a long way. Your father always knew what lied beyond the horizon. That's why I stood by him in any decision he made. If anyone could bring us all together it was him and I see that same look he had when he believed something was happening on your face right now."

"So will you help me?" Apollo asked, looking down at the man who his father's best friend.

Tigh smiled and stood up. "It would be my honor, Commander."

* * *

 **Battlestar _Galactica  
_** **Commander Apollo's Quarters**

All was quiet during the night cycle on the _Galactica_ with only a few crewmembers up to monitor the systems in roundabout shifts while everyone else slept peacefully. Only the Commander was up and he was busy looking at a holographic recorded image of his father, the late great Commander Adama.

" _Oh Apollo, we're not in a contest of popularity. We're in the midst of a life and death struggle for survival. We need heroes, men and woman that our people can look up to, gather strength from._ "

Apollo closed his eyes as the image faded. "Heroes."

He wasn't sure if he was ever cut out to be the Commander but someone had to step up when Tigh was made President and though the _Galactica_ was now under his command it would always be remembered as the ship that shielded humanity from extinction many times, under the command of his father.

"I just hope I am wrong, Father. I don't know if we can survive without you there to guide us." Apollo whispered before leaving his quarters.

* * *

 **Battlestar _Galactica  
_** **Flight Deck**

It was easy for Apollo to find his old Viper once he was back on the _Galactica_ and after asking a few trusted officers to get it ready for launch without anyone knowing who was really piloting it to not attract attention from the Council or the President. Apollo felt a sense of nostalgia as he sat in the cockpit and slipped his helmet on, remembering that it has been a long time since he was in the cockpit of a Viper.

"Going somewhere, Dad?"

Apollo stopped and looked down to see his son looking up at him with an expected look on his face, knowing he was up to something.

"Nothing you need to know about, son. This is my gamble and if I lose I don't want to take anyone down with me." Apollo said, not wanting to delay himself.

"It's that bad huh?" Troy asked, not pushing his father for more information. "What about Sheba? She'll help you."

"I know but we can't let the Council know. There's something out there, son and I need to see it. It might a dream…or a warning." Apollo explained, looking at the launch tunnel.

Troy was silent for a few seconds before stepped back. "Good luck, Dad."

Apollo nodded with a smile and slipped on his helmet. "Thanks son."

The cockpit closed and Apollo pressed down on the turbo button, feeling the familiar G-forces slamming into his body as the Viper slid through the tunnel and launched out into space, its engines blasting to life as they propelled the Viper through space.

"All right, let's see if you are really out there." Apollo whispered as he directed his Viper through the asteroid field of New Caprica's ring.

It was amazing how that old training never actually went away despite the fact that it's been yarhens since Apollo had flown a Viper before and after he assumed command of the _Galactica_. It was easy to avoid the asteroids while Apollo switched on the scanner to search for signs of incoming ships. The scanner would detect almost any kind of ship while Apollo would have to use his own eyes for finding the ships he was looking for.

"Come on, I know you're out there." Apollo whispered.

He knew they were out there, waiting for him.

He had so many questions to ask.

Are Count Iblis and the Cylons working together to find them?

Is Earth still out there?

And the most important question of all: Is Starbuck still alive?

"Starbuck, I know you're out there somewhere. Maybe they know where you are." Apollo looked over the scanner.

He had never forgiven himself for leaving Starbuck behind even though his father and Boomer both believe that they were the real failures for not being able to save or help Starbuck when his engines were damaged and he was forced to land on a desolate rock that was too far out of the _Galactica_ 's reach to send a rescue party. They couldn't go back to save him because they were always running and to this day his friends were still grieving. Cassiopeia was married with children but she attended the anniversary of Starbuck's disappearance with Apollo, Boomer, Tigh, Jolly who was retired, and Athena who regulated between teaching and bridge officer with her brother. He wasn't sure if Starbuck was still alive or not but he refused to believed that his best friend was dead.

By the time he was at the edge of New Caprica's ring it had been five sectons and still no sighting of the ships he was looking for. He was beginning to fear he simply imagined it all and it was simply a sign he was desperate to see and believe-

RRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG!

Apollo grunted as he felt a familiar sound that came with a very familiar headache that made him scream out as he struggled to stay awake. Opening his eyes for just a second he saw the ship, a ship glowing with white light that lit up the endless void of space.

"They are here…" Apollo whispered before he blacked out.

* * *

 **Battlestar _Galactica  
_ Flight Deck**

"What do you mean Commander Apollo went out on a lone patrol?!" The officer sweated under Commander Sheba's glare and fought the urge to flee or shake uncontrollably. "Why hasn't he assigned escort?"

"He ordered no one to follow him." The officer stated.

"And if his orders are a possible threat to his safety they are to be ignored." Sheba said icily, her glare intensifying. "If you were on my ship you'd be cleaning the launch tubes on both flight pods by yourself for an entire yarhen but command of the _Galactica_ falls to Commander Athena until Apollo is found. So if you don't want to be remembered who let Commander Apollo fly to his death you'd better have a search team underway."

"Yes Commander!" The officer said and ran off to carry out his orders and to get far away from Commander Sheba.

"Apollo, you better have a damned good explanation for when I see you again." Sheba muttered.

* * *

 **Battlestar _Galactica_  
** **Pilot's Lounge**

"Perfect pyramid boys."Cienna grinned as she laid her cards down on the table. "Unless there's a better hand this pot's mine."

Fortunately for the players they were saved from losing their bet when the alarm sounded.

"Unfortunately we'll have to play another time!" One of the pilots said, jumping to their feet. "We got to move!"

"Hey! Wait a centon!" Cienna watched as everyone picked up their cubits and ran out of the room. "You frakkers!"

"Duty calls, Cienna!"

"You coming or not?"

Cienna grumbled as she picked up her own cubits and ran out of the pilot room.

"Cienna, what's going on?" A pilot asked as they rushed onto the hangar deck. "The whole flight deck's on alert here."

"Probably some kind of aerial salute for the president while she officially decommissions the _Galactica_ and the _Pegasus_. It sure ruined the best game I had in over a centare." Cienna grumbled as she found her Viper. "What's taking you so long to get the Vipers into the tubes?"

"We're moving." A deckhand grumbled as he moved to help the deckhands. "Come on, move it!"

Cienna rolled her eyes as her Viper was finally ready to launch and she quickly activated the engines and then pressed her thumb down on the turbo setting. The G-forces slammed into her body as her Viper propelled itself through the tube and out into space.

Once she was flying her console beep as Commander Sheba contacted all Vipers on fleet alpha channel. " _Attention all Vipers. Commander Apollo was last reported in his personal Viper before it disappeared into the asteroid field. Your mission is to locate it or…the remains. The viper's life support system should keep Commander Apollo alive for over twenty four centars. Until then we do not stop until Commander Apollo is found._ "

"My Gods…" Cienna whispered before falling in line with Blue Squadron.

Her father's best friend and one of the people who had raised her during her childhood was missing? Commander Apollo had often entertained her with stories of her father and the adventures they had been on during the exodus. She looked up to Commander Apollo, seeing him as a role model and a personal connection to her missing father. Her mother may have loved her father but Commander Apollo had known him best and though he had not been seen in a long time Commander Apollo never believed that her father was dead.

In fact he believed he was somewhere out there, still alive and waiting to be found.

She quickly activated her scanner as the search and rescue mission begun. She would not stop until Commander Apollo was found just as Commander Sheba had said:

Dead or alive.

* * *

 **Location Unknown**

When he opened his eyes he was greeted with the white crystalline walls that he saw the last two times he had been brought onboard and when he sat up he saw _them_ , cloaked head to toe in pure white with only their eyes visible.

"So you are back." Apollo whispered.

"It is good to see you again, Captain Apollo." The voice of the angels spoke from everywhere and yet nowhere at the same time. "It has been some time since we last encountered each other."

"And here you are again." Apollo stood up and looked around. "You sent me a dream or was it a vision of what is going to happen? The Cylons find us and Count Iblis helps them destroy us. I thought he was taken care of by you."

"Count Iblis has always been cunning and despite our efforts to contain him he is still able to reach out into your dimension. He has been waiting patiently for the time to exact his revenge on you and that time is coming."

"At the centaur the _Galactica_ and the _Pegasus_ are to be decommissioned. But how after all this time could the Cylons have found us? We lost them yarhens ago." Apollo stated, remembering the last encounter with the dreaded machine race.

"The Cylons were never idle in their search for you. Though your battles with them during your exodus weakened them they have been regaining their strength and expanding their empire. You had only evaded them for a short time but they would eventually find you again."

Apollo's vision suddenly showed the orbit of a planet with a large space station pulling pieces of the planet from the surface, showing itself to be very advanced but what caught Apollo's attention were the fighters that were flying in orbit in standard patrol formation. They were Cylon fighters, looking more advanced than the last time the fleet had engaged the Cylons.

"After all this time? How? How could we not have known?" Apollo whispered.

"It is because they did not allow themselves to be known. Like you, things have changed greatly since we last met and the Cylons are no different. They have waited patiently for the right time to strike and now that time is soon."

"And Count Iblis? What is his connection to the Cylons?" Apollo asked.

"Count Iblis uses his powers to turn beings away from truth. That is who he has always been and many beings have suffered for his actions. His influence has been felt throughout this universe and he has waited for when you are vulnerable."

"He's been directing the Cylons to us?" Apollo asked, a hint of fear in his voice.

"The Cylons are his tools of vengeance and as they march on your colony, destroying everything in their way he will revel in the pain and misery."

"Is this why you've contacted me? Aren't you interfering?" Apollo asked, looking at all the strange beings that had helped him and his people on more than one occasion.

"Your dream was mere images of what could come. It is your choice to decide whether that future is meant to happen."

Apollo closed his eyes. "We wanted to find Earth but our people didn't want to continue traveling. They thought the Cylons were gone and we'd never encounter them again. And now they'll have to face reality. They'll never stop chasing us."

"You were given a short reprieve and you more than earned it, Apollo. But now the winds of change are blowing and if you are not quick all will be lost."

Apollo looked around the white crystalline room. "I only have one last question…Is Starbuck still alive?"

The angels remained silent for a moment, staring at him with eyes that betrayed nothing of what they could have been thinking.

"He is dead isn't he?" Apollo whispered, bowing his head.

"If you and humanity survive you will see Starbuck again. Tread carefully Apollo for many obstacles still lie ahead."

Apollo was about to say something when a bright light blinded him and the familiar ringing sound of the ship rendered him deaf.


	4. Chapter 4

**New Caprica Asteroid Ring  
Blue Squadron Search Area**

The _Galactica_ 's Viper squad was combing the entire asteroid field of New Caprica's ring, searching for their commander they dare not return without him. Commanders Athena and Sheba would probably roast them alive if they didn't return.

"Captain, I'm picking up a signal. It's the commander's Viper!" Troy's wingman reported.

"Confirm!" Troy quickly said.

"It's him, Captain."

Troy sighed in relief. "Distance?"

"…He's in orbit of the outer planet, Medra."

Medra was distant planet that was relatively uncharted and was essentially a dead rock in space due to it having no valuable minerals or resources.

Troy looked at the scanner and confirmed his father's location. "That's over a sectar away."

"Why would he go that far?"

"It doesn't matter, Cienna. What matters is that we reach him before his fuel runs out." Troy replied. "Set course for the outer planet."

"Captain, we won't have enough fuel to reach the planet and back." Cienna protested. "We've used up most of your fuel searching for him out here."

Troy frowned as he looked back up at space. "Contact the _Pegasus_ and the _Galactica_. Request a freighter with fuel and fighter escort. And request a doctor just in case he's injured."

* * *

 **Battlestar _Pegasus  
_ Core Control**

"Commander, Blue Squadron Lieutenants Troy and Cienna have located Commander Apollo's Viper. They request a shuttle with armed escort and med tech on standby." Boomer said, looking over the message sent by Apollo's son.

"Where is he?" Sheba asked.

"His signal is transmitting…from the outer planet of the system, Medra." Boomer answered upon seeing Apollo's coordinates.

Sheba spun her head, looking at Boomer when she heard her husband's location. "What?"

"Flight Lieutenant Troy confirms it." Boomer stated.

"What in Hades is he doing far out there?" Sheba whispered, trying to understand her husband's mindset. "…Order all squadrons back for refueling and get a shuttle ready."

"Commander, the Council will ask why all of Blue Squadron is escorting a single shuttle away from the planet." Boomer quickly pointed out.

Sheba suppressed the urge to say 'Frak the Council' but she didn't want to waste time arguing with them while Apollo was so far away. "We need to get to him as fast as possible…Boomer, do we have a freighter that can carry Vipers available?"

Boomer raised an eyebrow. "Yes, the Gemini freighter is used to carry minerals we mine from the asteroids. It has room for carrying smaller ships."

"Good. Prepare it for immediate departure with Blue Squadron onboard. Contact _Galactica_ and request a med tech to be onboard when it leaves. If anyone asks it's a routine mining operation." Sheba ordered.

"Yes, Commander."

Sheba looked out at the viewing window, seeing the stars and the planet below. "Apollo, what is going on out there?"

* * *

 **New Caprica  
Outer System**

When Apollo opened his eyes he saw his Viper in orbit of an orange colored planet and he quickly activated his scanners to see where he was.

 **Location: Medra**

 **Class D Planet**

 **Atmosphere Composed of Carbide**

 **Water Levels: Zero**

 **Length: 987 Metrics**

 **Surface: Not suitable to land on without air reserve**

 **No suitable materials for mining located**

 **Final Result: Planet is unsuitable for colonization**

"Medra. Why am I out here?" Apollo whispered and tapped a switch. "This is Commander Apollo recording for anyone who located my Viper or the black box. I am in orbit of Medra conducting a reconnaissance. Switching to high level scanning. If a Cylon fleet is approaching under stealth I have to make sure the fleet knows before it's too late."

The Viper flew down across the surface of the dead planet, running active scans for anything strange. Apollo looked down and noticed slight static on his scanner. "My scanner's acting fuzzy. It could be because of the magnetic interference from the planet's atmosphere causing it to malfunction."

Medra's atmosphere was no breathable to humans and its temperature was below liveable for humanoid life forms. However he soon realized that the scans were being reflected back which was odd as the magnetic interference in the planet's atmosphere couldn't be doing that.

"My scanners are being reflected. Switching to close range scan." Apollo said as he made the adjustment and saw something else. "I am detecting an energy surge radiating about ten metrics ahead. I am moving to investigate."

Up ahead was a large crater that looked too large to be natural Apollo's readings started beeping as the energy surge became stronger.

"The scans are showing something strange coming down from inside a crater that looks to be artificially formed. The energy readings are consistent with…underground base!" Apollo's eyes widened as he realized what was in the crater.

That was when things seemed to Hades as Apollo's scanner started beeping urgently and pair of energy bolts flew past his Viper.

"I've been locked on by an unknown enemy! Scans confirm them to anti-aircraft batteries! Initiating emergency manoeuvres!" Apollo jammed the throttle forward, pressing down on the turbo button and feeling his Viper propelling at full speed. "My long range transmitter is knocked out. There's some kind of heavy jamming…The nav computer's being jammed. I'll need to move out of their range to send out a distress signal."

However one of the batteries got off one shot and managed to clip Apollo's Viper, shaking him up enough that he was sure if he hadn't buckled in he would have been shot right out of cockpit.

"I'm hit!" Apollo looked down at his instruments. "I've lost my turbo thrusters. I might have sprung a leak. I'm just lucky they didn't hit a fuel line. I need to land before something happens."

Angling his Viper down he looked for where the ground would be flat enough to land safely without compromising the life support systems. Once close enough he deployed the landing gear and grunted as the Viper skidded across the rocky ground before coming to bumpy stop. Apollo grunted as he felt sore all over and wondered if he suffered any internal injuries from the crash. His vision got blurry and he felt himself becoming lightheaded.

As his vision darkened he swore he thought he saw someone in front of the Viper. "….Star…buck."

Commander Apollo fell back against his seat as his vision turned black.

* * *

 **Gemini Freighter  
Medra Orbit**

It had taken over thirty centons for the Gemini freighter to reach Medra and by the time they were in orbit the pilots were already in their Vipers, ready to launch. The scans were working to locate Captain Apollo but it was difficult because of the magnetic interference coming from the planet's atmosphere.

"This is where his transmitter was last broadcasting?" Troy asked, looking at the scanning data from inside his Viper's cockpit.

" _Yes Captain. An ion trail confirms he must have entered the upper atmosphere but there's where he last seen_." Commander Athena reported from the bridge. " _Assuming the Viper was not destroyed he could survive up to forty centars._ "

"All right. We'll be going below the cloud cover and assuming we have scanners working down there I want the entire surface scanner. If not we'll search the old fashioned way." Troy slipped on his helmet.

" _Captain, unless the commander's signal is transmitting from the surface the chances of us finding him are-_ "

"We _will_ find him." Troy cut the bridge officer. "No if, ands or buts. You all understand me?" Troy cut in sharply.

" _Yes sir._ " The majority of Blue Squadron answered.

"Prepare to launch." The hatch closed down on Troy's cockpit. "I want the commander found before the cycle is out."

" _Launch when ready._ "

A centon later the Vipers were all launched and headed down to the planet surface.

* * *

 **Battlestar _Pegasus  
_ Core Control**

"There's still no word from the search teams, Commander. The last message stated that the search was just getting underway." Boomer handed the small pad to Sheba so she could look over. "They plan to search down below the clouds where the ion emissions from Commander Apollo's Viper led and will search in a fifty metrics from the last position before branching out."

"It's not enough. We need more pilots." Sheba put the pad down on the table.

"All of _Galactica's_ available pilots are searching right now, Commander." Boomer stated.

"What about the atmosphere? Could he survive if the oxygen in his Viper fails?" Sheba said, thinking over the multiple possibilities in her head.

"The atmosphere is composed of carbide and it's below liveable temperatures. Even if he had life mask he'd freeze to death." Boomer answered, tightening his fist for a micron.

"How long before the oxygen runs out?" Sheba asked, looking for any good answer.

"Estimate forty centars or less. It depends on whether or not the oxygen tanks were damaged if it crashed." Boomer closed his eyes. "If he crashed he'd have to wait for us to find him and hope the transmitter wasn't damaged. They'll have to fly under the clouds for visual scanning and magnetic interference in the atmosphere could block most of their scanners."

"Do they have anything besides Vipers?" Sheba frowned.

"They have a shuttle with a landram onboard that they can deploy if Apollo has crashed. They can get in, get him on the ram and onto the shuttle and then get out." Boomer nodded.

"Then we make sure the Life Station on the nearest battlestar is available when they return _with_ Commander Apollo." Sheba stated.

"Commander, we're receiving a transmission from New Caprica City. It's President Mara." The communications officer reported.

Sheba narrowed her eyes but said nothing as she walked up to the command console, watching as President Mara appeared on the screen. "Madam President."

" _Commander Sheba, I understand that Commander Apollo is missing._ "

"For the centon but we are initiating search and rescue operations as we speak." Sheba answered neutrally.

" _Yes, I have heard. How is the search progressing?_ "

"Nothing yet but we have just started _._ "

" _Well Commander, perhaps we can offer assistance. I have spoken with the other members of the Council and former President Tigh has suggested that in the interest of cooperation we have decided to give full control of the defense fleet to you in your search and rescue operation._ "

Sheba was honestly not expecting that. "Excuse me?"

" _We are not blind to the fact that many warriors believe that decommissioning the battlestars is a mistake but…perhaps we can smooth things over with a final mission as Commander Apollo has repeatedly saved the fleet and the human race. It would be a crime to abandon him in his time of need._ "

"You would allow me to send any ship I deem necessary?" Sheba asked, her warrior instincts making her suspicious.

" _The other captains have agreed to hand over control of their ships to you to increase the chances of finding Commander Apollo._ "

"Frak the odds. We will find him." Sheba stated but quickly corrected herself. "Pardon me. Thank you Madam President. It will take over half a centare to reach Medra."

" _Perhaps but mutual cooperation will perhaps quicken our pace to find the Commander. Good luck, Commander._ "

"Thank you." Sheba nodded as the transmission ended and sighed. "I am so much more used to Apollo talking to her."

"It's nice of her to offer to help." Boomer commented.

"Yeah, handing over the entire defence fleet to help us find Apollo…It shows just how much she values the military." Sheba frowned.

"Sheba?"

"She thinks I'll take every ship over to help in the search to maximise our chances of finding of finding Apollo. She actually thinks that I'll take only means of defense on a search for my husband." Sheba answered and looked at Boomer. "She forgets I am also a Commander and making a decision like that is not only tactical error but it goes against the oath I took."

"So what will you do?" Boomer asked.

"She forgets one thing about Blue Squadron. Not only is the Commander's son leading the search and rescue but so are his sister and his best friend's daughter." Sheba said with a small smile.

* * *

 **Medra  
Location Unknown**

As the search for Apollo continued they had yet to realize they were being watched from inside the complex disguised as a mountain that had shot Apollo down. Inside the base was a series of dark corridors with minimal lighting but it was no trouble for anyone who walked down the hall and up to a pair glass doors that slid open and reveal a circular room with four large screens on the walls and in the center was a human figure wearing a black cloak and hood that covered them from head to toe.

"By your command." The being said, standing behind cloaked figure.

"Speak." A masculine voice said, not turning to face the visitor.

"A scouting party of Colonial Vipers are currently searching for Commander Apollo. Our long range scans have detected a freighter in orbit." The visitor said.

"Is there any sign they have detected us?" The man asked.

"No. We could take them completely by surprise with an attack force." The visitor answered.

"And the freighter would no doubt send out a distress signal, alerting the Colonial fleet to our presence." The man replied.

"Logical." The visitor agreed.

"Yes. The time to attack will be when the _Galactica_ and _Pegasus_ are being decommissioned." The man answered.

"And what about Commander Apollo? If he should consciousness and alerts them to our presence…" The visitor questioned.

"It won't matter if he's still alive or if he manages to warn them. By the time they realize what is happening we will have them cornered." The man chuckled deviously.

"It should come as a quite the surprise." The visitor commented.

"Oh it will be a surprise, my dear Lucifer. Can you imagine it? They feel so safe and secure with their new home and new found peace." The man grinned. "Then the sky darkens with flames and fighters as their slowly caves in around them."

"Then you do not wish to launch yet?" The visitor, Lucifer asked.

"No. The Imperious Leader's orders were clear. We are to wait until the fleet arrives the moment the battlestars are decommissioned." The man answered. "But…perhaps we can take advantage of Commander Apollo's visit. Send out a squad to tag his Viper with a homing beacon. Let's see what his reaction will be."

"By your command." Lucifer bowed before leaving.

The man watched the screens, showing the Colonial Vipers searching for the downed Commander. "Soon, Apollo. Soon."

* * *

 **Medra Orbit  
Gemini Freighter**

"Commander. We are picking up a distress signal from the planet…I think its Commander Apollo."

Athena turned her head to the scanner officer who spoke. "Have you located it?"

"I'm sending coordinates to our Vipers now. They're responding now."

Troy hit the turbo and gritted his teeth as his Viper sped almost to the other side of the planet before he reached the crash site and saw the downed Viper. "I have visual contact. We'll need the shuttle and the landram down here now."

" _Understood_."

Apollo groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, feeling a small but pounding headache and a bright light that almost blinded him as a shadow came into his vision.

"Can you hear me? Commander?" The shadow's features slowly sharpened as Apollo's vision became clearer.

"Dr. Salik?" Apollo whispered, seeing the wrinkled elderly face of _Galactica_ 's doctor.

"I see you are still alive of course you wouldn't be you if you weren't trying." Salik stood back, allowing Apollo to get a better look of where he was. "You're in the med station of a shuttle. You were transported onboard through a landram. We can't stay outside in this atmosphere for very long or we'll freeze to death."

"What happened?" Apollo leaned his head back down.

"I should be asking you that. We found your Viper crashed down onto the surface. Why would you be out here of all places?" Salik asked as he brought out a laser tool to close the few remaining cuts on Apollo's head.

"Dreams…visions…ships…Cylons." Apollo groaned, his head a jumbled mess.

"Cylons? What about them?" Salik glanced at Apollo.

"Coming…They're coming…" Apollo whispered.

"It's been over twenty yarhens since we last saw a Cylon. They no longer pose a threat." Salik stated.

"They've evolved." Apollo said as his thoughts came back into focus. "They've found us."

"How can that be?" Salik asked, looking down at Apollo. "We would have known."

"They have helped…Iblis." Apollo sat up and planted his feet on the floor. "We need to move now."

"You're in no condition-" Salik started as Apollo slipped on his warrior jacket.

"If we don't move fast than the human race will be wiped out forever." Apollo said as he moved to the door. "I won't let that happen again."

* * *

"You believe the Cylons have found us?" Athena was skeptical of her brother's claim while the rest of the assembled group listened to Apollo's tale. "But how and why haven't they attacked?"

"They're probably waiting. It wasn't uncommon for the Cylons to build outposts close to human settlements and observe them for long periods of time. They must have thought I was getting close and that's why they shot me down. But if they built up an outpost than it's a matter of time before their fleet arrives to launch a full attack." Apollo looked out the window, looking down at the planet. "We can't let them mount an attack."

"Apollo, are you listening to yourself? You piloted all the way to a barren planet and crashed and you blame the Cylons even though you never saw them. We don't have any proof that the Cylons are here even if there is a secret base down on that planet." Athena pointed out, skeptical of Apollo's story.

"Did you look at the scanning data and the log entries in my Viper's main computer?" Apollo asked, glancing back at his sister.

"The Viper's computers were too damaged to be salvaged." Athena answered.

"There was evidence of laser damage to the Viper when it was examined. Something did shoot the Commander's Viper down." One of the pilots of the search party, Captain Kir'oss offered. "But we have no way of confirming who fired without examining the weapon."

"Can you scan the wreckage for energy signatures matching Cylon weapons fire in the databanks?" Apollo asked.

"Those records are over twenty yarhens old. Even during the exodus we upgraded our weapons as best as we could and the laser signatures change in power and settings with each upgrade. The Cylons would have updated their weaponry these past yarhens so even if you get a scan similar to Cylon weaponry that doesn't confirm it's the Cylons. You should know that better than anyone, Apollo." Athena stated.

Apollo did know better as for the last twenty yarhens he and Sheba had worked to enhance the weaponry on the _Galactica_ and the _Pegasus_ , developing new weapons and defense systems in case they were ever found by the Cylons.

"I do and I also know the first sign of a strike starting with an outpost to set up a recon station." Apollo rubbed his head. "The fact that an outpost is out here without approval by the Council or the President is enough to tell us that we're not the only civilization in this system and that warrants an investigation."

"Apollo, Commander Sheba has ordered us to take you back the secton you are aboard." Athena said, genuinely becoming worried about her brother.

"And I can't do that unless I am sure that there is no threat coming." Apollo said, looking at everyone in the room. "I do not know if I can convince you all to believe me but there _is_ danger lurking. I didn't just come out here by myself I had an encounter…with the Ships of Light."

Everyone in the room was silent.

"They warned me of a threat coming and that it had to do with Count Iblis and the Cylons. I don't know how but they brought me here to find out what was down there and they told me something else…Starbuck is alive."

No one had anything to say after Apollo finished that sentence.

"If we ever want to find him we'll have to be prepared. So if anyone is with me on this make your choice now because whatever you decide now will decide the fate of the future." Apollo shared a look with everyone. "Because I am going back down there to figure out who shot me down. Starbuck is alive. I know it."

"Apollo, if you leave I will replace you as Commander of the _Galactica_." Athena said, warning her brother of the consequences of going off on a wild daggit chase. "The President and the Council are still pushing for the decommissioning of the battlestars."

"I know and if I am right you have to make sure they are ready to do whatever it takes to make sure they are ready. If the Cylons do attack than we need to be ready." Apollo nodded. "Commander Athena, prepare the fleet for battle."

Athena's eyes widened but she nodded. "All right but if you're wrong, Apollo than the Council and the President will destroy you."

"And if I'm right than the Council and the President will be the least of our problems." Apollo replied. "I need a Viper."

"Dad, you can't go down there alone." Troy protested. "If you really are going down there than it's a Warrior's duty to accompany the commander."

"He's right, Commander." Cienna agreed while the rest of the warriors nodded. "If there is a possible Cylon threat it's our duty to expose and stop it."

"Commander, I don't know much about these Ships of Light or this Count Iblis except from the stories we learned growing up but I do know someone shot you down and that's enough to convince me there is a problem." Kir'oss offered his own thoughts on the matter.

Apollo looked around the room. "If you help me there is a chance that the Council will consider this disregarding their orders."

"We're Warriors, Commander. It's our duty to protect them from all threats, even the ones the Council cannot see." Another Warrior, Lieutenant Atilla stated.

"Commander, I know you are not as close to most of us as you are with a few of us but I like to believe I'm close enough to know you would never make something like this up." Dillon said, stepping forward.

Apollo sighed but smiled. "Very well. We'll conduct a standard recon patrol of the planet and locate whoever shot me down. Athena, go back to the fleet and warn Sheba of a possible Cylon attack and get the fleet ready."

"Apollo…" Athena started but stopped and sighed. "Good luck."

Apollo nodded. "You too, little sister."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: It has come to my attention that Patrick Macnee passed away on June 25th 2015. Patrick Macnee was the voice actor for the original Cylon Imperious Leader and this chapter is dedicated to his memory.**

* * *

 **Gemini Freighter  
Hangar**

 _Commander's Log Yarhen 25, day 208:_

 _It was the seventh era of mankind. Twenty yarhens have passed since the last great war. A civilization was reborn, an enemy had grown, and now a new generation will have to face an old foe. I must prepare them…for the second coming._

 _End Log_

" _You are clear to launch._ "

Apollo smiled as he felt the shuttle launch, even though he was heading down to the planet where he had been shot down. "All right, here are the coordinates to where I was fired upon. Take us in low so they can't shoot us down."

"Roger commander."

The shuttle moved down beneath the atmosphere of the planet, drop altitude until the pilots believed they would be safe from any anti-air assault weapons.

"Scan for metallic structures along these coordinates." Apollo stated.

"Commander, we're coming upon the coordinates." Cienna said, carefully manoeuvring towards the giant crater.

"Be ready for anything. They might lock onto us and try to shoot us down." Apollo said, his eyes probing the crater.

"Commander, I'm picking up a signal." Troy said, tapping his headset. "It's coming from down below."

"A signal?" Apollo looked at his son's instruments. "Why would…Evasive action!"

It was too late as beam of light shot out of the crater and hit the shuttle. The crew expected to be blown up but instead the shuttle was pulled down into the darkness below.

"What's happening?" Apollo asked, gripping both chairs.

"We're being pulled down by some sort of…high powered gravity beam! I can't break us free." Cienna answered, having tried a few times to pull the shuttle free. "I've never seen anything like this before."

"Neither have I." Apollo whispered as he spotted artificial lights at the bottom of the crater.

In addition to the artificial lights the crew of the shuttle could now see metallic structures built into the rocky walls.

"What are those?" Dillan asked.

"Cylon Pods." Apollo whispered. "They were outposts built on remote desolate planets to monitor for enemy sightings. They are built into craters, canyons, almost any place where it would be impossible to see them without a good eye. And they are completely silent, never reacting until they launch a patrol or a squadron."

"I remember reading about them. Uncle Boomer and Jolly found on a planet where they got sick." Troy stated, remembering what had happened because it was the same time cycle his mother married Apollo.

"Except it's bigger with multiple pods instead of a single one." Apollo said as the shuttle was pulled towards an open pod. "How could we have not noticed this?"

The shuttle entered the pod and came into an empty hangar but the crew could see fighters parked on the ground.

Cylon Raiders.

They were different though as originally the Cylon Raiders were shaped like giant flying wings these ships looked sleeker with their wings slightly extended and angled downwards that made them resemble bats. And if that wasn't enough they were only fighters that were parked in the hanger but they were obviously of Cylon origin following the same saucer design that Cylon Raiders looked like but this one looked even sleeker with curved wings pointing forward with laser turrets at the end of the wings in addition to the usual forward firing laser cannons that were seen on the original Raider configuration.

"I know what those are." Cienna whispered.

"They look like pictures of the old Cylon fighters that looked like a big flying wing or a saucer." Troy continued.

"Those pictures are nearly twenty yarhens old. The Cylons must have changed their design while they were searching for us." Apollo whispered; sweat slowly sliding down his forehead.

If he had any doubts about his dream or the word of the Angels they were gone now.

 _They_ are here.

 _They_ had found them.

The doors to the hangar opened and out _they_ marched in single lines, filling the hanger with the sound of heavy footsteps as they formed ranks around the shuttle. _They_ were different from Apollo remembered but he knew it was _them_. The crew of the shuttle looked out the window, most of them seeing _them_ for the first time instead of looking at pictures and holographic images of _them_ from the history files of the great war. _They_ were tall machines, easily a foot taller than a human but looking more advanced and more deadly.

 _They_ were covered head to toe in glimmering silver armor with _their_ heads resembling helmets with fierce looking face plates, having a circular orifice shaped vocal communicators and a black polarized lens where the eyes would be where the human eyes would be but instead of two eyes there was only a single red revolving glowing eye. The power packs that kept _them_ functioning without needing to recharge their batteries were integrated into _their_ backs, making _them_ hardly noticeable and _they_ each carried rifles that looked big enough that it would take two humans to lift. _Their_ bodies resembled heavily muscular humanoids, showing their strength without actually needing to show it.

The humans onboard instantly knew who _they_ were because it was so easy to recognize _them_.

 _They_ were the machine race that had hunted them to near extinction for over five yarhens before they finally escaped.

 _They_ were Cylons.

"After all this time I hoped never to see them again." Apollo whispered.

A door opened and out marched a robot with a jet black face that was humanoid shaped with two red revolving eyes and above its face at the top of its oblong shaped head was what looked like a crown that pulsed with energy along a mass of wires which resembled a brain that sparked with various lighting and beeping sounds. It was garbed in a red robe that went down to its feet as it walked into the hangar, flowing across the floor it walked while being flanked by two Centurions. The Colonials remembered this type of Cylon model, an Il-Series Cylon that typically took on the duties to maintain the non-military duties of the Cylon Empire. These duties included commanding outposts, bases, and even Basestars for important missions.

"Attention humans." The newly arrived Cylon spoke in a voice that sounded…Human. "My designation is Lucifer and I formally welcome you to our base. If you would be so kind to step out of your craft we will escort you to our commander where you can discuss terms of…your release. If you attempt to fight than I assure you it will be a short one. You cannot escape; our graviton beam is keeping your shuttle locked down so you might as power down your engines to save fuel and your communication systems are jammed."

The Cylons raised their rifles, all of them pointed at the shuttle.

"And I should warn you what would happen if our rifles were to pierce your hull and if perhaps hit something important, like the fuel lines." Lucifer said, sounding very smug.

"We can't let them capture us." Troy whispered, reaching for his blaster pistol. "We can try and destroy their graviton beam to escape."

"There's too many, Troy. We'd be dead before we fired off a single shot." Cienna protested. "We can't be killed here without first warning New Caprica."

"We might have our chance." Apollo stated. "That name…Lucifer. I remember it from Kobol."

' _If I ever get my hands on you Lucifer…_ ' The voice of the most infamous man in all the Colonies said in Apollo's mind.

"Commander," Lucifer called out. "If you are not out in two centons I will be forced to order the Centurions to force the shuttle open."

"Commander?" Dillon asked.

"Open the hatch. They win this round." Apollo said, pulling out his laser pistol. "They won't want us armed."

A few the warriors were ready to protest but in the end they left their pistols on the shuttle and slowly walked out of the shuttle, seeing the Cylons waiting patiently for them.

"Commander Apollo." Lucifer said, his voice become soft and interested. "I have heard much of you."

"And I've only heard of you once…from Baltar. He threatened to tear you apart when the Cylons attack the ancient settlement on Kobol, against his orders I assume." Apollo stated neutrally.

"Oh, I had almost forgotten about that event. No hard feelings I assume, as it was a military operation." Lucifer stated. "I had believed our dear commander to be held hostage or dead and so acted properly as his successor."

"And you're in command of this base?" Apollo asked.

"No. I am merely an observer." Lucifer said as he turned around. "Follow me and I shall acquaint you with the commander."

The Warriors reluctantly followed Lucifer while they were escorted by four Centurions into the base, walking through dark halls until they came upon a pair of doors that opened up into a dark circular room and in the center was someone in a dark cloak who was looking at several large screens lined along the walls.

"Commander Apollo." The man said as he turned around and faced the visitors.

Apollo's eyes widened in shock when he saw the man's face, a face he had hoped to never see again. "Baltar."

It was indeed Baltar.

The former commander in the Colonial Fleet, member of the Council of Twelve, and the greatest traitor to humanity in the universe. The one who had sold humanity to the Cylons in the final yarhen of the war and deceived them into a believing the Cylons were suing for peace but in reality it was a an attack aimed at the fleet and the Colonies. Baltar had attempted numerous times to destroy the _Galactica_ in his never ending quest for power until he had been captured and sentenced to spend the rest of his life on the prison barge but he was eventually released after he provided vital information that allowed the fleet to destroy a Cylon Basestar and allowed them to escape free of Cylon pursuit. For helping them Baltar was left on a habitable planet with food and shelter where he would spend the remainder of his life.

"Greetings, Apollo. It's been a long time." Baltar grinned.

He had changed very little since the last time Apollo had last seen him only now he had a large scar running down his right cheek.

"How are you alive?" Apollo asked. "We left you behind on a habitable planet after you helped us destroy that Basestar. How did the Cylons find you?"

"You underestimate the Cylons but that was the same mistake your father made. Of course, the reason the Cylons have only now turned their attention back to you after so long is simple. There's been a Cylon civil war. A new and more lethal species of Cylon has emerged." Baltar looked at all the humans in the room. "Let me say you are all in great peril. And only I can lead you to safety."

"Like you tried to at Kobol? Promising a way to sneak into the Cylon Empire and attack them at their capital?" Apollo snapped.

"Oh I was not lying then Apollo. The Cylons were indeed vulnerable to an attack at their capital. The attack on the Colonies left them vulnerable since they lost large amount of ships and warriors destroying the Colonies and the Colonial fleet. Of course, you did not believe me about how your defeat and later victories cost the Empire much of their resources. Destroying two of their Imperious Leaders, one at Carilon and another at Gamoray and if that wasn't enough you destroyed two bases that held large amounts of resources that the Empire needed to maintain their grip on the galaxy." Baltar chuckled as he took a step forward. "The reason you lost them was because they were forced to find more resources while dealing with internal rebellions that were brought on by your victories. But the last straw came when you fended off a Cylon fleet after you escaped detection. That's when they found me, marooned by your father."

"And offered you back your old position." Troy accused, glaring at Baltar.

Like all humans Troy knew of Baltar and what the traitor had done. He was a child the night the Cylons destroyed Caprica which had scarred him until his mother married Apollo, giving him someone to call 'Father', and led the Cylons to Kobol to where his mother was killed. Even if he wasn't directly responsible Baltar had a played a role in his mother's death and he would never forgive the traitor for what he had done. His mother's death was an old pain that he had come to terms with long ago, thanks to his new family.

His father, Commander Apollo along with his new aunt Athena and his grandfather, the late Commander Adama.

Baltar and the Cylons had destroyed his home and his family once and he vowed when he graduated from the Colonial Flight School on the _Galactica_ that it would never happen again.

"No. They wanted to kill me. They believed my use to them was over but they kept me alive because the defeats they suffered even after they destroyed the Colonies contradicted their programming: enforcing order across the universe as the supreme force. They held me responsible for their defeats and had come to believe free will was the true enemy that had started to infect elements of their society and that is how I managed to survive." Baltar explained. "I told them how humans could still be of use to them in another way. A way that would help them evolve to finally best the human race and for the human race to survive."

"As a slave?" Cienna stated with a dark look on her face.

"No. As a brother." Baltar answered, running a finger down his scar. "When it became clear I couldn't save myself as a whole being I convinced the Cylons that humans had many attributes that would be useful to them, as proven by your ability to fight overwhelming odds and convinced them that free will was the enemy and so I convinced them to…change me."

That was when Baltar's pupils glowed red but the humans all saw it and realized that Baltar was not human anymore.

He was a Cylon.

"You let them turn you into a Cylon like them?" Troy whispered in shock.

"The first of my kind as a Cylon-Human hybrid. They designed nano-technology to adapt to my body, changing me from the inside, destroying obsolete components and replacing them with cybernetics. These nanites inside me allow for increased healing and strength, replacing my primitive human bones with a hyper steel alloy exo-skeleton for increased endurance. Installing an advanced Cylon based cybernetic processing system into my brain that ensures total compliance and disallows any ideas of individuality or disloyalty and my eyes had been modified as enhanced sensors that allow me to see the entire EM spectrum in all its glory. The Cylons can hear my thought and they can see what I see and I can hear them and see what they see through the Cylon network, a collective will that enforces true peace and order." Baltar explained, his grin widening. "Of course, many Cylon leaders objected to this alteration of what they saw as the perfect order while others demanded complete compliance to the Imperious Leader. The gulf between the two sides widened until the Cylons, the so called masters of the universe did the unthinkable: they engaged in civil war."

Cylons engaging in a civil war?

The idea sounded almost impossible to Apollo as the Cylons had fought against the humans for a thousand yarhens because ideas like free will, individuality, and disobedience went against their way of life. No one had ever heard of a Cylon willing defect and stand up to its own people because the Cylons had no free will of their own.

All they had was their programming: Eternal Perfection and Order.

"But the civil war was perhaps the greatest thing to ever happen to the Empire. A newer and deadlier Cylon race emerged, one that incorporated the useful elements of human nature and other species that the Cylons believed would improve their Empire. New ideas that allowed them make new advancements as you can see by the new Centurion models, fresh subjects that allowed the Empire to flourish while incorporating new ideas, new abilities, new mindsets and soon enough the Empire had evolved beyond perhaps even the wildest dreams of the serpent Cylons and had even…stopped slaughtering the pockets of human survivors on the Colonies." Baltar grinned at the shocked looks on the faces of the captured humans. "Yes, there were survivors left the Colonies who now serve the Cylons. The Colonies were rebuilt as a pinnacle of unity between man and machine and the Cylons even invested in growing food and finding clean water for its organic subjects. As you can see, humanity has changed the Cylons…for the better."

"Survivors?" Asked a shocked Apollo.

"Yes Apollo." The most hated man in the universe said. "Several hundred humans were captured near the space dromes and a hundred more were organized into scattered resistance groups. And who can forget the smaller fleets that tried to escape and rendezvous with the _Galactica_? Of course at the time of the destruction of the Colonies the standing order for captured humans was extermination and as expected the Cylons carried out their orders, at least until they were distracted by the civil war. It took some time to track them down but fortunately by the time they had been found the civil war was over and they were spared execution."

The humans bristled at what Baltar had said but remained silent.

"And now we have found you, finally. The last remaining humans in the universe." Baltar said, looking at each human with Apollo being the last. "The remnants of the people who have defied the will of the Cylon Empire."

"We don't want to fight anymore, Baltar. We only want a home for our people to live in peace." Apollo stated.

"And you won't have to fight, Apollo. The Cylons don't want to exterminate you. They want you to join them." Baltar replied.

"You mean become like you. A puppet of the Cylons." Dillon accused.

"It's either that or they will decide you are too dangerous and will resume their effort to exterminate you." Baltar stated as his eyes flashed red again. "Humanity will live on under Cylon rule willingly or at gun point."

"Like you always wanted." Apollo glared, wishing he had his laser pistol with him.

"You haven't changed a bit, Apollo. Your friend Starbuck… he was alive last I saw him." Baltar chuckled. "I am sure he's dead by now."

"Don't you dare say his name, traitor." Cienna said darkly.

"You must be Cienna, Starbuck's daughter." Baltar looked at her. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I see much of the Lieutenant in you."

"Speak to me, Baltar." Apollo stepped forward, watching as the Centurions pointed their rifles at him. "You don't have the right to speak of Starbuck."

"Oh of course. Lieutenant Starbuck and Captain Apollo, Adama's best warriors and his children. Of course you are now the Commander of the Colonial Fleet. You are here because I ask you to join me and together we will change the Cylons and ensure peace throughout the universe." Baltar held out his hand.

Apollo stared at the hand and then at the man who offered it. "We will never join you Baltar."

Baltar seemed disappointed for a milicenton as he lowered his hand. "Than…I will simply keep you here as my guests. See that they are fed and uninjured."

The Centurions stepped forward, pushing the humans out of the room.

"The fleet will know you're here, Baltar. They won't let you destroy our homes again!" Apollo shouted as he was escorted out.

"My dear Apollo, I'm counting on it." Baltar chuckled softly.

"That could have gone better." Lucifer remarked once they were gone.

"Oh no, Lucifer. It happened how I predicted." Baltar glanced at the IL-Cylon. "They would never accept a truce from us after all this time. After all, they still believe they can fight. It's only after that they realize it's hopeless when they begin to consider alternatives."

"I suppose now we contact the fleet. I imagine his Eminence is becoming impatient." Lucifer suggested, quickly changing the subject.

"Yes, yes. Let us begin." Baltar nodded.

* * *

 **New Caprica  
Asteroid Ring**

Near the planet New Caprica lingered a large asteroid that had no resources that the Colonials needed to help build their fleets or their cities on the new home of humanity. Out of one of the largest craters appeared a giant ship shaped like two dark blue saucers attached by a central column appeared with built in turrets at edge of the saucers giving the image of a star built into the saucers and in tandem alignment. This was not an isolated event as two more ships of the same configuration appeared out more giant craters in the moon and moved towards the planet.

Aboard one of these ships a large group of robotic androids and humanoid figures bowed as a figure garbed in a red robe sat on a throne like chair and observed the image of the planet below. Its face resembled a lizard with cybernetic implants and yellow glowing eyes that observed its subjects. On the walls lining the throne were large holographic screens showing New Caprica, the Colonial Fleet, and the tactical display which showed the distance between the massive ship and the planet.

"By your command." A series of voices that sounded human, reptilian, high pitched and mechanical rang throughout the throne room.

"Speak, my loyal Cylons." The creature said, its voice sounding like it was of royalty which in a way it was.

"It is done, Imperious Leader. We are in position to attack." A gold plated Centurion reported.

"The final attack on the last known colony of the life form known as Man. Let the attack begin." The Imperious Leader declared.

This order was heard by every single Cylon in the system and they obeyed. Out of the many craters in the asteroids came swarms of Cylon fighters that shot out of the craters and resembling clouds that loomed over the three giant Cylon capital ships like a massive shadow. The humans thought they were safe but the Cylons had not only found them but they had planned their attack out carefully to ensure that the humans would be taken completely by surprise. They had underestimated humanity's will to survive all odds before.

They would not make the same mistake again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Metra Orbit  
Gemini Freighter**

"Helm, flank speed for home." Athena stated once she was on the bridge of the _Gemini_ freighter.

"Yes, Commander." A man stood next to her. "Commander, if I may ask, what are you personal thoughts on this? Do you believe that the Cylons have found us?"

Athena glanced at the man for a milicenton. "I believe…My brother is leading us down a dangerous path. If he is wrong his career is over."

Athena always had faith in her brother, seeing the same strength in him that her father had shown as Commander of the _Galactica_ and the fleet. Apollo had tried to measure up to their father, trying to be as a great as the deceased Adama but Athena saw that Apollo doubted himself at times, wondering if he even had the right to command the ship that had been under their father's command for so many yarhens.

To see him so sure that they were in danger, it was the same stubbornness and suspicion Commander Adama had shown when the fleet was rendezvousing with the Cylons at the so-called Peace Conference that had led to so many lives lost.

Including the youngest child of Commander Adama, Zac.

Athena shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts. Zac's death was so long ago and it was a pain that she had tried to come to terms with, mourning his loss with Apollo at times. She wanted to believe that Apollo was not going crazy.

But she wanted him to be wrong so badly so they would not have a repeat of the nightmare that had led to the loss of the Colonies.

"And if he's right?"

Athena glanced at the transparent aluminum glass that showed planet they approaching. "If he's right than we might lose everything again."

"Commander, we're picking up something." An officer reported, directing Athena's attention to him. "A large moving mass inside the asteroid field."

"The _Galactica_ or the _Pegasus_?" Athena asked.

"I don't think so, Commander. It's moving fast and the energy ratios are higher than those recorded on the _Galactica_ or the _Pegasus._ "

Athena frowned as she walked over to the station and looked the readings herself. She watched as a circular icon moved out of the asteroid field.

It took less than a centon for Athena to realize what it actually was. "Oh God."

"What is it?" The officer asked.

"It's a Cylon Basestar." Athena answered, not needing to look to know everyone on the bridge was paling at what she said as she was just as terrified. "My brother was right. They've found us…They've found us."

Athena had no trouble recognizing the dreaded capital ship of the Cylon fleet, even though it was different. The scans showed it was six times larger than its predecessors and the energy levels were much higher.

And that was not the worst part.

The worst part was that it was moving faster and it would be on top of the _Gemini_ freighter in less than a centon.

"What do we do?"

"Contact the _Pegasus_ and the _Galactica_ and inform them that the Cylons are here. And try to get into contact with Commander Apollo." Athena quickly said.

 **Cylon Basestar  
Core Command**

"Imperious Leader, we have detected a human ship ahead of us, moving towards the colony." The Command Centurion reported. "It is sending out a narrow beam distress signal."

"Destroy it. We will show the humans our power to spread fear throughout their ranks." The Imperious Leader commanded. "Use the Pulsar."

"By your Command."

In the command center of the Basestar the Command Centurion turned to the weapon station. "Charge the Energy Coils. Alert the gun crews."

The Pulsar weapon was the standard ship destroying weapon of the Cylon Basestar. A powerful fusion cannon, capable destroying even a Battlestar with a single hit the Mega-Pulsar was a Neutron Particle Beam weapon that could cut through armor and shields easily as the photon and x-ray bursts could was capable of cutting through any known armor while electronic shields were equally useless as neutrons had a neutral electrical charge. The Cylons had of course improved their Pulsar weapons, creating a powerful Neutron based disruptor bolt that was even more powerful than its predecessors but unlike their previous the Cylons didn't have to worry about draining their new and more powerful Baseships of power when firing them.

"Enemy ship coming into range." The Centurion at the weapon station reported.

"Fire when ready." The Command Centurion stated.

The sensor console started beeping urgently. "We've been targeted."

"Evasive action! Prepare the escape pods!" Athena shouted as the lights on the bridge flashed red. "Take us into the asteroid field!"

The _Gemini_ freighter moved at maximum speed but the Cylon Basestar, despite its massive form, was still chasing after them. As it moved the two saucer hulls that were the common design for the capital ship of the Cylon fleet began to surprisingly spin in inverted directions and slowly split apart to reveal a glowing array on the central pylon that connected the double saucer hulls together. The array glowed brighter as each micron passed until it was fully charged and fired a green energy bolt at the freighter as it entered the asteroid field. As fast as the _Gemini_ freighter was it was a slow moving target and didn't have a chance to evade as the energy bolt collided with it and instantly blew it apart.

"The human freighter was destroyed. The Pulsar weapon was a success." The Command Centurion reported.

"Excellent. A successful test." The Imperious Leader was pleased. "Continue on towards the human settlement. We will overwhelm their fleet."

"Resuming course." The helm Centurion said.

Its job done, the Cylon Basestar moved on towards New Caprica to continue its mission. Fortunately it never noticed the escape pods that floated in the wreckage of the destroyed freighter, hidden from the Basestar's sensors.

Which was what its commander was hoping for.

Athena watched as the massive ship moved to attack she whispered a prayer to the Lord of Kobol for the safety of everyone she knew and loved.

 **Battlestar _Pegasus  
_ Core Control**

Commander Sheba sat at the command chair of her ship as she waited for news from the search and rescue party on the news of her husband. Though she had been in command of her father's ship for nearly twenty yarhens she still would have preferred to be out there like all the Viper pilots instead of waiting for them to report back.

"Commander, we're picking up a transmission. It's from the _Gemini_ freighter, Commander Athena speaking."

"On speakers." Sheba straightened herself.

Athena's voice sounded frantic over the speakers. " _This is Commander Athena to all Colonial ships: there is a Cylon fleet in the asteroid field. I repeat, there is a Cylon fleet in the asteroid field. Commander Apollo is on the surface with the senior members of Blue Squadron, investigating the possible sightings of a Cylon base._ "

Everyone on the bridge was silent as Athena's message repeated itself a few more times before Sheba stood up. "Launch all Vipers and prepare our gunships. Place them in defense positions over the planet and order them to blast any enemy ships that move in their direction."

Within the two Battlestars, klaxons that had remained silent except for battle drills rang as an actual combat alert for the first time in a long time. Pilots, technicians, and all personal dropped their food, drinks and whatever activity they were doing as the lights flashed red throughout the two ships. Pilots rushed to their Vipers as the deckhands worked to get the Vipers into the launch tubes. As this happened the approaching Cylon ships began launching their Raiders, moving in attack formation towards the planet.

"Enemy contact! Fifty microns to intercept." A Lieutenant called out.

"How many?" Sheba asked, looking at the scanner with Bojay who had taken over for Boomer who was on the _Galactica_ , seeing the larger number of enemy signals approaching the fleet.

"I can't give you an exact count, Admiral. There are too many signals but they are confirmed to be Cylon."

"It's an attack phalanx." Bojay whispered, almost unable to believe what he was seeing. "And those Basestars are coming up behind them."

"They have us boxed on. They know we can't flee like before or they'll massacre the colony." Sheba stated.

"Commander…The President and the Council are on the priority channel. They are demanding to speak to you." The communications officer stated.

Sheba narrowed her eyes. "No reply. We don't have time for their squabbling in the middle of an attack."

She had waited a long time for an opportunity to ignore the President and the Council's idiot policies and even though there was a Cylon attack on the horizon she couldn't help but feel satisfied at putting them down.

She was in command of the fleet now and if she wanted to ignore the government for the sake of protecting the last home of humanity than she would do so without hesitation.

 **Medra  
Cylon Base  
Command Center**

"The attack is underway, Baltar." Lucifer stated as he walked into the command room, ignoring the Centurions at their work station while Baltar looked at the large holographic image of the system, showing the Colonial fleet moving to intercept the Cylons. "The Imperious Leader commands us to launch our strike force."

"Then let us get underway, Lucifer." Baltar said with a grin. "Can you believe it? Two outdated Battlestars attempting to fight three _Tyrant_ class Basestars? Can you believe how foolish they are being?"

"As I recall you once though the same with the _Pegasus_ and it destroyed _two_ basehips." Lucifer pointed out.

Baltar frowned. "That was when Cain was still alive. For all her passion, Sheba is not her father. She is a commander but does not possess the mad skills or reckless behavior her father possessed and let's not forget that these Baseships are more advanced than the ones Cain engaged."

"Perhaps but a mistake could still be made, Baltar. The Imperious Leader is watching and he is placing success of this mission on _your_ capabilities." Lucifer said, sounding smug.

If there was one thing Lucifer had come to enjoy from being in Baltar's company was that he enjoyed pointing out the flaws in Baltar's plans when they were hard to grasp and the emotional reactions that came with them. Originally Lucifer had been assigned by the Imperious Leader to observe Baltar for the purpose of allowing the Cylons to better understand humans and while it worked it had also shown Lucifer one important aspect:

Baltar was more ambitious than any Cylon or organic Lucifer had ever met in his entire existence.

It was through Baltar's work that the Cylons were finally able to defeat the Colonial fleet at the Cimtar Peace Conference which was a cover for an attack on the Colonies after the Cylons had agreed to spare Baltar's colony, Picon and allow him to be left as the remaining member of the Council of Twelve where he would quickly take charge and rule the Colonies under the Cylon Empire. Of course the Imperious Leader at the time reneged the deal due to the fact that the entire reason the Cylons had fought the humans for so long was because the Cylons were fighting to exterminate all humans in the universe. Simply leaving them alive, especially under the control of a man who sold out his own race was foolish and thus the Leader decreed after the Colonies were destroyed that Baltar would be publicly executed but his contributions would forever be remembered by the Cylons for his assistance. However before Baltar was executed the Imperious Leader was destroyed at the Battle of Carillon, having believed the remaining humans would be helpless but they had in fact tricked him and destroyed him along with the planet.

After the Leader's destruction the Empire quickly begun its search for a new Imperious Leader, searching the IL-Series models for an appropriate successor to under the transformation into the new leader which consisted of a third brain being added, one that matched the mentality of the original organic Cylons, and modifying the body with the organic resemblance of the serpent Cylons that had long ago created the machine race. To this very centare Lucifer believed the Cylon High Command had made a mistake when he was passed over as a candidate for the new leader but when the succeeding Imperious Leader had chosen him to act as an observer to the spared Baltar he was intrigued by the chance to better understand the organic race that had long defied the Empire. It started out as interesting as Lucifer prided himself on being a keen strategist but was unable to grasp what Baltar was thinking when they had begun tracking the Colonial Fleet.

He eagerly observed and logged all of Baltar's reaction when he came with the latest news and wondered what Baltar's next plan was going to be. However when they arrived at Kobol Lucifer began to suspect that Baltar was hiding his true intentions and had gone down to Kobol alone to forge an alliance with the humans. While it was illogical that they would ever trust Baltar again after he had aided in the destruction of the Colonies it was also illogical that Baltar did not suspect the possibility that the Cylons would again renege the deal they had made with him. This led Lucifer to believe that since Baltar had been to the center of the Cylon Empire and had valuable information regarding the inner workings of the Cylon Empire and its fleet movements that he might use it against his new allies in revenge for their betrayal.

It was in that centon that Lucifer had realized that even the Imperious Leader himself had underestimated Baltar.

If that was not proof that the High Command had make a mistake of choosing the Leader of that time over him than he had no idea what else would be considered proof.

So taking into account of Baltar being a possible traitor and the chance of seizing credit in a military victory over the last remnants of the humans Lucifer had ordered an attack on Kobol, which had failed but Baltar had survived. Lucifer had been surprised to learn that Baltar had survived the attack and the ancient structure collapsing on him. Baltar had been understandably angry and if not for his injuries, which had caused a permanent limp until his transformation, and the Centurions Lucifer had been sure that Baltar would have tried to tear his circuits out. Since then Baltar had been fully committed to destroying the fleet and _Galactica_ , possibly motivated by revenge on Adama for abandoning him and leaving him to die in the ruins of Kobol.

Lucifer had observed Baltar's many plots, pushing the fleet towards the pulsar on the planet Artica, destroying the fleet's agricultural ships along with their food sources, using the fire power of three Baseships and later four additional squadrons from the Cylon outer capital to overwhelm the fleet, ordering a Cylon attack squadron to perform suicide runs on the _Galactica_. Each plan had failed but Lucifer had observed Baltar after each failure and saw only his determination grow stronger. He had also noted Baltar's other emotional reactions:

Confidence in his plans.

Anger at failure.

Fear when he learned that the Imperious Leader had been on Gamory and when Commander Cain was after him.

Amusement when he accused Lucifer of being jealous of Spectre.

Seriously, why would he be jealous of an older, inferior model?

It hadn't occurred to Baltar that Cylons were just as capable of deception as humans when Spectre had sweet talked Baltar to avoid the cost of failure. Lucifer had tried to point Spectre's deception, pointing out how Specter had ordered a large supply of weapons on a planet whose population had supposedly been terminated but Baltar simply said it was mere stock piling and Specter had even weaved a story of him ordering the last of the human habitats destroyed while his own garrison was blowing up in his mechanical face. Needless to say Lucifer had not been happy when Baltar had offered the slippery model a place on his Basestar and had been very happy when Baltar had left to meet with Adama, possibly to be captured or terminated. The Cylons had lost the Colonial Fleet for some time before a long range patrol had found them and the Cylons had launched a full fledged attack to finish the humans once and for all.

It had failed, despite outnumbering the humans ten to one the Cylons had still failed to wipe the last remains of this troublesome race, losing an entire fleet in the process which sparked an uproar in the Empire as the Cylons were forced to deal with loss of resources, ships, and even their own kind questioning how they were the caretakers of the universe when they had failed to conquer a single race. It was like a virus had crept its way into the Cylon network, forcing them to question themselves on how their perfection was defeated so spectacularly. Not even the Imperious Leader himself could answer why they could not defeat the humans. The central intelligence of the Cylon race unable to understand why it and its predecessors had failed left so many wondering if this meant that they were not as perfect as they had believed.

When Baltar had been found marooned on a planet following the loss of a Basestar Lucifer had been quick to believe that he had a connection with the baseship's destruction. It was at this point that the Cylons had considered that Baltar's usefulness to him was over. Lucifer believed Baltar was finally going to die but like all the previous times Baltar had managed to escape death, by convincing the Cylons that he could still be useful in many other ways. He convinced the Cylons that simply observing humans was not enough to understand them as the humans cherished free will and the ability to resist oppression making them completely opposite to the Cylons.

He claimed that free will was the true enemy of the Cylons and said that in order to truly defeat free will the Cylons needed to go about a different way than enslaving or exterminating the races they came into contact with. Despite all his failures and blunders Lucifer believed Baltar's conclusion was logical and ordered a project that would convert Baltar into a Cylon through nano-technology. It had been a success as the nanites inside Baltar created implants that would serve to keep him loyal to the Empire, disallowing thoughts of free will and suppressed emotions that interfered with the logical thought process. Lucifer had felt something akin to pride at the success of the project but even he could not have predicted the outcome of what would happen when the rest of the Empire had learned what he had done.

The Cylon civil war was a life changing moment as multiple factions had emerged, proving Baltar right about free will being the true enemy of the Cylon race. Lucifer's faction, led by the new Baltar begun converting slave races into Cylon hybrids which led to victory as the single reliance on Cylon Centurions had been the undoing of other factions. The addition of organic thinking combined with the cold machine intelligence had proved to the loosing factions that Lucifer was right and thus the Empire that had been fractured came back together, creating a new Cylon race that was stronger than ever. Once the Empire had been restructured Lucifer had been offered the position of Imperious Leader but even he was surprised when he turned it down.

He had come to realize that his position is what allowed him to take the steps that would make the Cylon race evolve into a newer and stronger Empire.

If he had been the Imperious Leader it was unlikely anyone would have had the same creativity and thought process he had gained from watching Baltar and come up with the ideas for creating a new form of Cylon. Now he was here, watching the humans who had eluded them for yarhens about to be finished off once and for all, Lucifer could not help but feel excited. For a millicenton Lucifer wondered if this was what was like to feel nostalgic, having finally found the humans and stood with Baltar as they prepared to launch their assault like before.

Oh today was a good day for the Cylon Empire.

"Yes, yes." Baltar waved off Lucifer's attempt to make him worried. "You will see, Lucifer. We're not dealing with a fleet, or Adama, or even Cain this time. We are dealing with a planet led by an ineffective Council and a foolish President who believe themselves to be safe from all the dangers in the universe. Well, they are about to find out they are anything but safe." Baltar chuckled sinisterly. "I only wish I could be there to see the looks on their faces."

Once again, Baltar would see the human race humbled by their enemy.


	7. Chapter 7

**Battlestar _Galactica_  
Core Control**

It was cycles like these that Boomer hated his job, especially since he had never wanted to be a commander in the first place. He was a Colonial Warrior and Warriors belonged in the cockpit of a Viper, fighting the enemy on the frontlines. Unfortunately the fleet needed skilled Commanders to take charge while ensuring there still was a fleet. He only hoped his wife, Dietra would be able to hold off those incoming tin-cans long enough for someone to come up with a plan to save New Caprica before it was beyond too late.

He had lost more than many friends to the Cylons to simply watch them destroy what was left of humanity.

"Incoming Cylon fighters. Sensors read over…" Omega stopped when the screen showed the exact number of enemy signals.

"Well, Omega? How many?" Boomer barked impatiently.

"Over one thousand and five hundred fighters, Commander." Omega answered, almost gulping at the number of enemy fighters.

'Too many for us to fight.' Boomer realized. "Launch our Vipers and order them to defend _Galactica_ and _Pegasus_ but tell them stay close so our batteries can protect them. Prepare our defense batteries and charge our forward laser cannons."

A milicenton later _Galactica_ opened fire with her anti-fighter cannons on the enemy fighters, spewing bolts of red light that destroyed anything they hit.

"Apollo, where are you?" Boomer wondered. "An attack is happening and you're nowhere to be found. What the hell are you doing?"

* * *

 **Battlestar _Pegasus  
_ Core Control**

Boomer wasn't the only one to suspect that the _Galactica_ 's commanding officer had realized something. Sheba was worried about her husband and wondered if this was the reason he had disappeared but he wouldn't have simply run without trying to warn the entire colony. No matter how many disagreements they have Sheba loved her husband and knew he was anything but a coward.

'Apollo, wherever you are, hurry back.' Sheba thought as the Cylons prepared to swarm the battlestars. "Positive shield now. All batteries commence fire as the enemy comes into range."

* * *

 **New Caprica Asteroid Field  
Cylon Command Raider**

As the attack on the fleet continued three revolving red eyes watched surveyed the battle with cold machine efficiency as their fighter glided through space, firing on any humans ships in their way. The Cylons had changed greatly since their creation but one of the things that never changed was that they still built ships with Centurion pilots even though they could now build actual Cylons as fighters. The Cylons were not just advanced machines with minds of their own but they were united, a team, an entire race united in their goal so why would it be hard to believe that they would have fighters with pilot Centurion models or that they had three Centurions in the fighters acting as pilot, weapons officer, and commander.

Their machine minds worked together in piloting a single fighter, synchronized to the point that they weren't just pilots but the ships themselves. The pilot and the gunner sat at the front in the large cockpit while the commander sat at the rear station, observing the battle data shared between all Cylon ships and instantly created strategies to adapt to any form of human attack or to quickly exterminate all enemy humans quickly.

Of course the Cylons had not only upgraded their own models but they had obviously upgraded their ships as well.

One of the most interesting upgrades were the upgraded Raiders that had a red light flashing beneath the cockpit like the visor of a Cylon Centurion. The reason why was simple. The Cylons had created sentient Raiders that were considered Cylon themselves and just as deadly. When the reptilian Cylons had created their machines they started out with the simplistic Cylon Centurion model but had upgraded them through the yarhens by adding an additional 'brain' into their models, allowing both brains to interact and provide far more intelligence than any group of individual beings could ever hope to achieve.

Those that received a second brain were upgraded to command models, commanding the Basestars and planets that had been subjugated by the Empire. The Il-Series models boasted two brains that were upgraded with each new model that was produced and if these models continued to serve the Empire well they would perhaps rise to a position in the ruling council of the Empire, second only to the one Cylon who had three brains: the Imperious Leader.

The Cylon Imperious Leader himself had three brains installed in his body that allowed for heightened intelligence that surpassed any living being in the galaxy.

As the Cylons evolved new ideas took root and the Cylons decided to experiment in ways to make their fighters more capable against their enemies. That was when the idea of installing a brain in the Raiders, making them essentially Cylons that controlled the bodies of the Raiders and interacted with the pilots for better calculations and reactions. The single brain was the equivalent of a Cylon Centurion but the Raiders were essentially able to grow and learn through their combat experience and detailed records of their previous model's performance against the humans. It had even been suggested that installing a brain into the system of a Basestar would be just as much a breakthrough as it had been with the Raiders.

Unfortunately a Basestar was considered too large and too advanced for a single Cylon brain to control and the Cylon High Command was against installing two or even three brains to give them the increased intelligence to fully control the Basestar. So for now the Basestars would not receive the same upgrade as the Raiders did but they were still powerful and still formidable enough that a single Basestar would be enough to destroy what was left of the Colonial fleet.

The Raiders had yet to be fully tested against the humans but today they would earn their chance to prove their superiority as the Cylons launched their assault on the human world.

"Battlestar _Galactica_ and _Pegasus_ engaging our squadrons." The command Centurion stated. "Group three, attack Battlestar _Galactica_. Groups four, five, and six arm and attack Battlestar _Pegasus._ "

The answer was immediate. "By your command."

Sheba watched the tactical display, seeing the battlestars attempting to cover the _Galactica_ 's escape.

"Admiral, multiple enemy ships coming in at multiple vectors. They're closing in on us and the _Galactica_." The tactical officer reported.

Sheba cursed. "Increase enemy suppression fire. Task our gunships to help our Vipers fend them off and route all available power to the shields"

It didn't take long for the _Pegasus_ to shudder under the barrage of enemy fire even though the massive ship's shields were blocking enemy fire from actually touching the hull.

'Hurry Apollo. We need you.' Sheba whispered in her head as the _Pegasus_ shook under enemy fire.

* * *

 **Cylon Base  
Holding Cells**

Troy banged his fist against the door of the cell he was in with his father, Dillon, and Cienna. "There's got to be a way out."

"Tylinium reinforced door. We'd need solium charges to get out." Apollo crossed his arms as he looked around the cell, hearing a humming sound. "Cylon fighters. They are launching now. The attack must be underway."

"What do we do, Commander?" Dillon asked.

Apollo held up his wrist watch, seeing the timer counting down zero. "We leave in five…four…three…two…one…"

Halfway across the planet five ships launched from the ground, towards the Cylon base using turbo thrusters.

"All right, you all remember the plan. Move beneath their suppression flank and go straight down into the crater. The Commander is counting on us." Captain Kir'oss stated.

"Roger Captain."

The Vipers came in at low altitude over the crater and fired their pulse lasers down, hitting Cylon pods as they opened to launch their fighters.

"Remember, don't hit the pod where the Commander's signal is coming from." Kir'oss reminded as he blasted a Cylon fighter leaving a hangar.

The Vipers flew down, continuing to shoot Cylon fighters and pods as they followed the signal from a homing beacon the Commander placed on the shuttle to inform Blue Squadron where he and the prisoners were.

* * *

 **Cylon Command Center**

"What is happening?" Baltar demanded as klaxons sounded and the underground base shook.

"It appears that Colonial Vipers are attacking the pods above us." Lucifer answered calmly as the base continued to shake.

"That's not possible. How could they have found us so quickly?" Baltar wondered before realizing what had happened. "Apollo…He must have had a homing beacon placed on his shuttle. It must have been shielded from our scanners. And they moved in at low altitude to avoid being shot down by our anti-assault batteries."

"A very clever plan." Lucifer commented. "They are attacking the pods, preventing us from launching a counterattack."

"Yes, but their laser-torpedoes won't be able to penetrate the reinforced structure of our base and they won't try to destroy it as long as their Commander is down here with us. They'll have to land and locate his cell to rescue him first." Baltar stated.

"Logical." Lucifer conceded.

"Yes, quite logical. But I see through it. Prepare a platoon of Centurions and send them to the cells. We'll see if the Colonial Warriors can still match up with the Centurions. They'll no doubt try to rescue the commander and try to knock out the anti-assault batteries to escape. A single group of Colonial Warriors is no match for an entire garrison." Baltar smiled.

"By your command." Lucifer bowed before moving to carry out his orders.

Baltar watched as the Vipers continued their attack down to the bottom of the crater, destroying all the pods except the one the Colonial shuttle was in. "You'll have to do better than that, Apollo."

"Captain, I've located the pod the Commander's shuttle is in." Lieutenant Atilla reported. "It's at the very bottom."

"All right. Set lasers to blow the door open but do _not_ destroy the pod." Kir'oss stated.

The five Vipers flew in formation and fired their lasers, blasting the hangar doors open and allowing the Vipers to land.

"Put on your life masks and let's go." Kir'oss said, putting his mask on and opening the canopy of his cockpit.

He stepped out and readied his laser pistol, looking around the hangar for any guards. He pulled his transmitter and listened as it beeped.

"They're close. Possibly a floor beneath us." Atilla said, looking at the readings.

"We should be careful, sir. The entire base is on alert by now and they might have two or three phalanxes between us and the Commander." Lieutenant Tristen pointed out. "We're severely outnumbered here."

"Which is why Captain Temel came with several bags of solonite explosives." Kir'oss smirked as Temel held out the satchels of explosives for the rest of the group to share. "They'll blow any approaching tin cans apart."

"I came prepared." Temel chuckled.

"All right. Check your weapons and be ready. Commander Apollo left us instructions that if we can't reach him we set the explosives to any place we believe is a critical area and blow this place up. Set the timer for ten centons." Kir'oss held his wrist computer and set the timer. "Let's go."

The Warriors quickly moved out of the hangar, following the direction of the transmitter.

"Did you hear that?" Dillon's ears picked up as he looked at the door. "I think I heard an explosion…And laser fire."

"You did." Apollo smiled. "Our rescue team is here."

"Just like you predicted, Dad." Troy glanced at his father. "They didn't think that the rest of our squad would be on standby."

"And when Baltar realizes that there are warriors in the base he'll send guards here to stop them from rescuing us." Apollo nodded.

"Let's hope Kir'oss and the others are ready." Cienna said. "This base is literally crawling with Centurions."

"They're ready. You are ready." Apollo nodded to the rest of the Warriors in the cell. "You've all trained for this. You are ready."

* * *

 **Cylon Base  
Near the Holding Cells**

Kir'oss and his team slowly moved through the hallway of the base with their laser pistols out in case of being spotted by an enemy patrol, tracking Commander Apollo's signal to wherever he was being held. It wasn't easy as they had been forced to dodge Cylons that had come looking for them, cutting them off at certain areas and forcing them to move in a single direction to the cells.

"Atilla, status." Kir'oss whispered as they moved down another corridor.

"We're coming upon the commander's cell." Atilla answered, looking down at the transmitter. "It's just around the corner."

"All right, let's be careful. The moment they realize we've rescued the commander this place will be swarming with tin heads." Kir'oss pulled out a solonite charge as he carefully peaked around the corner.

As much was he didn't wish it he was right as five Cylon Centurions, obviously advanced versions to the ones he had read about in history class, guarding the cells.

"Commander." One of the Centurions spoke. "The Command Center reports that human intruders are moving towards the cells. They are sending security patrols to reinforce us."

The Command Centurion held up its rifle. "Scan for any human sightings. Alert security."

"By your command."

Kir'oss shared a look with his team as he nodded at them and switched the solonite charge on, counted to three, and threw it into the hall. The Centurions heard the charge hit the ground in front of them and pointed their guns at just as it exploded, knocking them down.

"Now!" Kir'oss shouted.

They rushed out, shooting the Centurions that were distracted by the explosion. The Centurions staggered as laser bolts slammed into their metallic bodies until the lasers finally fried their circuits and they fell over.

"Cover me." Kir'oss said as he walked down the hall while the others covered the exit. "Commander! Are you here?"

"Kir'oss!" Apollo shouted from a nearby cell.

Kir'oss quickly rushed over to the door where Apollo's voice originated. "I'm here, Commander. Stand back."

He aimed his laser pistol and shot the door locks and Troy kicked it open a micron later.

"Commander." Kir'oss nodded as the former prisoners rushed out of the cell. "Are you all right?"

"We're fine, Kir'oss." Apollo nodded. "But we won't be for long. There's possibly a Cylon fleet coming to attack New Caprica. Are you still in contact with Athena?"

"We lost the signal before we launched our attack. I believe our communications are being jammed." Kir'oss shook his head.

"The Cylons wouldn't want anyone warning humanity's new home that it was about to be attacked." Cienna said.

"That means the attack is already underway." Apollo said grimly. "We have to move now or we'll lose our home, again."

* * *

The engines of the Battlestars roared as they moved forward, firing their plasma laser cannons at the hundreds of Cylon fighters who traded fire with them and the smaller Colonial ships. The Basestars hung back, seemingly watching as their fighters overwhelmed the human fleet. The battle was not going well as despite the skills of the pilots the Colonial Vipers were simply outmatched by the Cylon Raiders that were not only faster but they were simply more advanced and more powerful. It took over five hits to destroy a single enemy fighter and two more took its place, overwhelming the Colonial Warriors who were fighting with all they had but it simply was not enough.

"We're taking heavy hits to the flight pods and the engines, Commander."

Sheba looked at the tactical screen, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. "Contact the _Galactica_ and tell Boomer to start bombarding the heaviest concentration of enemy ships. Pull our Vipers back and have them form a protection circle around us to protect the vulnerable areas."

The _Galactica_ and the _Pegasus_ fired their forward laser batteries, destroying over a dozen Cylon fighters that rushed to overwhelm them.

"Status of the Basestars." Sheba said, watching as the Raiders fell back to regroup.

"They're staying out of range. We can't engage without breaking the defense fleet."

"If we do that they'll slip past us and attack New Caprica. If we move to engage them it might force the fighters to break off to defend their Baseships." Bojay spoke up.

Sheba thought it over and though she agreed with it she knew what Apollo would say. "And if the fleet breaks apart the Cylons will break through the gap and attack the planet." She looked at the tactical readout again to get a better idea of how to take control of the fight. "Contact the _Galactica_ and order them to launch all missiles at the Basestars."

"At this distance we'll be lucky if one is not shot down by their fighters or defense turrets." Bojay pointed out.

"Do it and then lay in a course for these coordinates." Sheba pointed at the locations on the tactical display. "That'll force them to slow down."

"Yes Commander." Bojay nodded and relayed Sheba's orders.

'Apollo, where are you?' Sheba thought as she looked at the screen.

The Battlestars fired their missiles at the approaching Basestars but the Cylons were already moving to intercept the missiles. Their fighters targeted the missiles which were unfortunately slower than a Viper and shot them down one by one. Those that did make were almost completely shot down by pulse lasers fired from the Basestars, destroying the missiles with incredible pin-point accuracy. Fortunately there were too many missiles and a few managed to hit the forward Basestar, exploding against the armored hull that flashed brightly as the shields attempted to deflect the kinetic and thermal energy back out into space.

Even if the missiles had succeeded in hitting the Basestars that had not been Sheba's plan from the start. She wanted to distract the Cylons just long enough for the _Galactica_ and the _Pegasus_ to move forward into the asteroid field, making it impossible for the Cylons to accurately target and destroy them.

"That was a brilliant move, Commander." Bojay smiled. "Now they'll have to come at us on our terms. Commander Cain couldn't have done it better himself."

"For all our sakes I hope so." Sheba whispered and looked over the scans, taking in detail of their position.

With the Battlestars in the asteroid field, slowly moving towards the Basestars the Cylons will pull their fighters back to eliminate the greater threat.

* * *

"Report Centurion." The Imperious Leader commanded, demanding an update on the battle.

"The Battlestars and the smaller human ships have taken refuge in the asteroid field surrounding the planet. We cannot lock our pulsar weapons on them." The Command Centurion reported from the holographic screen before the Cylon ruler.

"Order our missile batteries to pummel the asteroids in a standard bombardment surrounding the human ships. Strip them of their cover and order our fighters to retreat and regroup. They'll swarm the humans once we've destroyed their cover." The Imperious Leader stated, displaying its enhanced intellect that it gained from its three brains and the experience from its predecessors to strategically counter its enemies.

"By your command."

A micron later the three Basestars opened fire on the asteroids with missiles and turbo lasers, blasting away anything they hit.


	8. Chapter 8

**Battlestar _Pegasus  
_ Core Control**

"Commander, the Basestars are opening fire on the asteroids. Scans show they are using thermo solium warheads with over eighty megon loads." The scanner officer reported.

"They're trying to strip our cover." Sheba realized.

"If they clear a path through the asteroid field they'll have a direct path towards us and New Caprica." Bojay said, slightly sweating.

"Keep us moving through the asteroids towards the Baseships. We need to get in close and charge the forward laser cannons. The micron the nearest baseship is in range we'll open fire." Sheba stated. "Keep our Vipers and gunships close to us. They'll try to swarm us with their fighters to stop us."

The strategy of the Colonial Fleet was to use the asteroid field only long enough to get into position to fire. The Battlestars, making more obvious targets, would draw the majority of the Cylons' fire while the smaller vessels and gunships armed with larger yield missiles would spread out along the flanks and unleash a devastating barrage at the Cylon Fleet. Several Raider squadrons attempted to intercept these groups only to contend with Vipers, defensive artillery and the asteroids themselves. The Colonial pilots were able to remain close to their charges and allow them to pick off any Raiders that got too close, and usually managed to fire off a shot of their own that would force Raiders to evade only to crash into random debris or outright lose any possible firing solution due to the asteroids blocking their line of sight.

Other Raiders encountered decoy signals for cruisers and gunships, caused by formations of drones that managed to maintain their course while diverting to avoid collisions. The Colonial Fleet had developed these during the earlier stages of colonizing New Caprica to take advantage of the asteroid field masking their ships from view. The Cylons were unable to verify which was real or fake except by seeing for themselves at close range, all the while having to carefully navigate the asteroid field where Vipers harassed them or ships fired off their defensive batteries the moment they came into range.

While they had been against the colonization of New Caprica, Apollo and Sheba had spared no expense at developing strategies in the event of an invasion from possibly the Cylons or any other hostile force they might encounter. Both Battlestars had been given various improvements and upgrades over the yarhens that were similar but different to make it difficult to predict their attack patterns. The _Galactica_ had been given increased fighter capacity and defenses including additional turrets and armor while the _Pegasus_ had been given increased fire power, including two additional forward laser cannons that were designed to destroy Basestars in a few hits. With four forward cannons the _Pegasus_ had been nicknamed 'the Beast'. The Colonial Fleet was making up for its lack of numbers in the same way it had continuously defied the Cylons for countless yahren: through improvisation and strategies the logical Cylons would not consider.

Raiders were being picked off, and for every Viper or gunship they destroyed several of their own were lost, sometimes up to a dozen being ambushed across the area of battle in different engagements as the Colonial Fleet finally settled into position. The Battlestars were moving into the open, firing their primary weapons at the Basestars while the separate groups began to fire off barrages of missiles. The Raiders not devoted to attacking the Colonial ships in the asteroid belt began to move to intercept these waves of missiles, managing to hit most of them due to the distance between the Basestars and Colonial vessels, however some of the Raiders had to use themselves to intercept the missiles in a kamikaze rush to keep them from striking the Basestars. Despite their best efforts, more and more of these projectiles began to strike the Basestars while the Battlestars continued to hammer away at them.

* * *

 **Cylon Basestar  
Core Command**

The Imperious Leader's eyes narrowed as the Basestar shook from the missile attack. "Centurions, deploy the force shield."

"By your command." The Command Centurion obeyed. "Activating Cradle Unit."

* * *

From the upper spindle of the Basestars launched a disc shaped ship that hovered above the Cylon capital ships and released a green stream of energy that covered the Basestars, forming a spherical shield that instantly blocked all the missiles still being fired by the Colonial ships.

"What's happening?" Sheba demanded, seeing the Basestars being protected.

"It's some kind of…Force shield." The sensor officer said, shocked by the readouts of the scanner. "The Basestar's launched a smaller ship that's projecting the force shield around them. It's easily blocking the missiles."

"Cease firing the missiles." Sheba said, not willing to risk any missiles being used pointlessly. "Target forward lasers and fire."

The _Pegasus_ was the first to clear the asteroid field and fired two giant beams of orange energy at the center Basestar but the force shield absorbed the lasers, withstanding all of their might.

"No effect on their shields." Bojay said, gripping the sensor officer's chair.

"That's impossible." Sheba whispered before the Basestars opened fired, their lasers passing through the force shields and hitting the two Battlestars. "Pull back! Back into the asteroid field!"

The _Galactica_ and the _Pegasus_ hastily turned and headed back into the asteroid field as Cylon laser fire scorched their hulls. Cylon Raiders chased after them, harassing them as they retreated as Vipers and Gunships rushed to defend the two massive flagships of the Colonial Fleet.

"Colonel Boomer on alpha channel." The comm officer reported and quickly opened the channel to the head console were Sheba was waiting.

" _Sheba, we have a serious problem._ " Boomer said, his face sporting a serious grim look.

"I know, Boomer. I didn't expect this. I don't believe even Apollo would have expected this." Sheba ran a hand through her hair. "Is there any word on them?"

" _No and our scans confirmed the Gemini Freighter was destroyed at the far edge of the asteroid field._ " Boomer answered, a hint of sadness heard in his professional voice. " _We don't know if it was evacuated in time._ "

Sheba closed her eyes in silent mourning. "What about Apollo?"

" _No word from him._ "

"Then…Then we must assume he was killed. Give the evacuation code signal to New Caprica, they must know what's happening by now." Sheba quickly putting her feelings side for the centon. "Get any ships that's not damaged or being used in the battle down onto the surface."

" _Right, but Sheba if we can't stop those Basestars neither the fleet nor New Caprica will last very long._ " Boomer pointed out.

"We'll find a way Boomer…We always do." Sheba replied, whispering the last part.

* * *

 **Cylon Basestar  
Core Command**

"It is done, Imperious Leader. Our ships are in range to attack the colony." The Command Centurion reported.

"Good. Attack the space-drome first and see to it that there no ships for the humans to escape in. There will not be a second exodus." The Imperious Leader said.

"By your command."

* * *

 **New Caprica  
Far Edge of Asteroid Ring**

The Cylons had caught the humans completely by surprise by hiding their capital ships in the asteroid field of New Caprica but that was only the beginning of their plan. The humans had yet to learn just how much the Cylons had truly evolved over the yarhens since they had last fought and soon they would learn the hard way. On the other side of the system appeared what looked like giant freighters approaching New Caprica from the opposite side of where the battle was being waged. Onboard these ships, Cylon pilots, modified with a different appearance than the Centurions scrambled and boarded their fighters as the ship's klaxons rang, signaling them that the time to launch was near.

In the past the Cylons would have simply launched an overwhelming assault, simply using their numbers to overwhelm their enemies and destroy them once they had achieved air superiority. However that tactic had failed against the humans countless times, only succeeding at the end of the war. Following the end of the Cylon Civil War the Cylons had worked to adapt the unpredictability of organics to their cold calculating minds, looking for ways to improve themselves by matching their enemies. The result was the Cylons could now effectively plan out their invasions rather than the slow and stilted tactics that they had used in the past.

"By order of the Imperious Leader, we are to attack the human colony. All fighters will slip from behind as their fleet engages ours and we will route the humans." The Cylon Flight Leader stated, its voice heard by all Cylon pilots through their data link. "Launch."

The top of the Cylon freighters opened up, allowing their fighters to launch towards New Caprica, assuming attack formation and arming their weapons.

"New Caprica Strike Squadron, attack." The Flight Leader Centurion said, his fighter leading the squadron towards the planet.

War had not come to New Caprica, it had been here all along.

* * *

 **New Caprica City  
Colonial Hall**

"Tigh, I demand an explanation!" President Mara said once former President Tigh was escorted into the Council Chamber by Council Security.

"An explanation, Madam President? I was about to ask one from you since your security came to my door and demanded that I answer a summons from you and the Council despite that I am now retired." Tigh stated. "What could you possibly need from me?"

"The explanation for the Colonial Fleet causing a ruckus in orbit, _former_ President." A Council member spoke up. "They have ignored all communications from us and are seemingly blasting asteroids while saying that the Cylons are here!"

Tigh stiffened. "And…Are the Cylons here?"

"Of course not! This is a blatant act by Commanders Apollo and Sheba to delay decommissioning the Colonial Fleet!"

Tigh shook his head. "Councillors, Madam President, with all due respect Commanders Apollo and Sheba would not resort to such drastic tactics to simply change your minds about decommissioning the _Galactica_ and the _Pegasus_."

"He is right, Madame President. They are too honorable." Siress Tinia spoke up, much to Tigh's relief.

Siress Tinia had been a member of the Council during Commander Adama's time and at one point a representative of the Council when they had tried to take the emergency powers that had been granted to Adama when the Cylons destroyed the Colonies and though they disagreed much Tinia had recognized the Council's folly when they had been taken hostage and were rescued by the very warriors they antagonized which led to full command being restored to Adama. Since then Tinia had been perhaps the only friend Adama and the warriors had on the Council and was quick to speak in their defence when people like President Mara believed that the warriors were relics of a darker time with ideals that had no place in times of peace.

"And with all due respect, former President, I say otherwise. Commander Sheba outright refused our order to decommission the _Pegasus_ and attempting to terrify us would be in her character." Mara stated.

"Madam President, Commander Sheba is a warrior who swore an oath to serve the civil government that had been established since it had been established by the articles of colonization. I do not believe you are giving them a fair chance to explain themselves and finding proof of them trying to lie to you." Tigh stated.

"She and Commander Apollo will have one, at their trial." Mara said, leaning forward. "As will you if evidence is found that you supported this mutiny."

Tigh's eyes narrowed as he realized that Council and the President may have allowed themselves to become corrupted with power after living so long on New Caprica, believing they were safe from any threat. Not for the first time Tigh wished that Adama was here to set them straight as he had back in old days. Adama was not only a skilled warrior he was a skilled diplomat and it was through his strength and charisma that kept the fleet together as they fled the Colonies. Without him, the Council, a bunch of worn down, tired elders decided that the fleet could no longer keep moving and decided to colonize a planet that was found to be habitable despite the danger of settling down with the Cylons still out there, somewhere in the universe searching for them.

It had become apparent that the President was blind to everything but the vision she and the Council shared.

"Madam President, Council of Twelve, if you see fit to judge our warriors even before a trial is even considered, going against the laws founded by our forefathers and the Lords of Kobol…You do so with my utter contempt." Tigh stated, glaring at the Council and the President. "And the contempt of those who died fighting to ensure our people had a future and have been dishonored by you and your actions. You who speak down on people who bled for you, struggling to across the stars to find the home of our brothers and sisters only for you to seize power when Adama passes away and simply land a new planet, bring about an era of self pleasure and interest, forgetting what united us before and what kept us strong as a united front. Commander Adama would be saddened would he be able to see this and what you have allowed to happen."

Mara glared and was about to retort when the room shook and an explosion was heard.

Tigh looked up at the roof window and saw fighters swarming down from the sky, recognizing them instantly. "Cylons."

The Council and the President looked up, their eyes widening with fear, horror, and denial as the Cylons fell upon the city like a swarm of locusts, firing off bolts of high energy plasma bolts that burned and blasted anything they touched with the intensity of a fifty megon blast. On the ground people started screaming and running in all directions, their fear overwhelming their sense of reason as they looked for any place to hide or escape. Tigh was suddenly reminded of the night the Cylons attacked Caprica, remembering the screams of the people who died under the relentless Cylon assault that continued until the people were left to wander the hills in the night, terrified of the great death that had swept across their world like a plague. Tigh remembered how helpless he had felt, listening to the screams but he wouldn't let it happen here.

Never again

"This is impossible…It's impossible." One of the Councillors whispered. "This has to be a dream…It has to be a dream!"

"It's not, Councillors. Madam President, the Cylons are attacking which means the fleet is already engaging them in orbit." Tigh said darkly. "We need to start getting people down into the emergency shelters."

Mara looked at Tigh, her face now consorting with shock and she seemed unable to speak as she only nodded at Tigh's suggestion.

Tigh looked back up at the window as Cylon fighters continued to fall towards the city, moving in formation to conduct strafing runs on New Caprica. 'Apollo, we need you here now.'

* * *

 **New Caprica**

The Cylons moved their classic attack formation as they targeted the multiple cities on New Caprica, firing their high powered lasers at the space-dromes, fuel-distribution centers, and then began attacking the cities. Buildings went up in flames while people on the streets screamed and ran in all directions, taking cover as the Cylons flew over them, shooting down flying civilian vehicles that frantically tried to escape but ended up crashing into buildings or other vehicles due to the fear and the disorganization. Once the primary targets were destroyed the Cylons switched to their neutron-based laser torpedoes as they targeted the farm lands, breaking down the cellular structure in food and human tissue. New Caprica had no military bases at the insistence of the Council of Twelve which had left the planet defenceless against the Cylons that had the slipped past the Colonial fleet as it was occupied with the attack Cylon fleet in the asteroid field of the planet.

The Cylons had spent yarhens planning out how they would finally defeat the human race, waiting for the right time to strike. There were no ships or land based defenses to stop the Cylons as they continued their strafing runs on the last known colony of humanity. History had repeated itself because the humans had not learned from their mistakes but the Cylons had not only learned from their defeats but changed and evolved through their obsession with the human race and this time the Cylons had no interest in allowing a second exodus to happen. The human race would join the Empire at gunpoint or they would finish the extermination of the rebels that had defied them.

* * *

 **Cylon Basestar  
Core Command**

"Report Centurion." The Imperious Leader demanded.

"Our fighters have successfully attacked New Caprica. Our flight leader reports that the spaceports have been destroyed." The Command Centurion reported.

"Excellent. Recall all fighters and prepare a transmission on a broad beam frequency." The Imperious Leader said, its eyes glowing with satisfaction. "It is time to issue the humans their final choice."

"By your command."

* * *

 **Battlestar _Pegasus  
_ Core Control**

"Commander, the Cylon fighters are pulling back."

Sheba watched as the Cylon Raiders returned to their Baseships, passing through the force shields somehow which made the Cylons even more dangerous. However something wasn't right as the Cylons shouldn't have retreated so soon, especially since they were actually winning despite her pride.

Something was wrong.

"Status of New Caprica."

"We lost contact with-" The comm officer stated to report but his console beeped. "Commander, a transmission is being sent from the lead Basestar."

That was when every human in the Colonial Fleet and down on New Caprica heard for the very first time, the voice of their enemy's leader. " _To all humans who can hear me, I am the Cylon Imperious Leader and ruler of the New Cylon Empire. For many generations our two people have waged war which ended in great losses for both sides. You have defied Cylon rule time and again and yet is through you we have evolved, becoming stronger and greater as we take our place as the caretakers of the universe. Now we have returned and though our mission has been the extermination of the human race for the last thousand yarhens we now offer you the hand of truce._ "

Sheba shared a look with Bojay while the rest of the bridge crew looked each other in confusion and whispered warily about what they had heard. Sheba then realized she remembered that voice from long ago when a man had come aboard the Fleet, promising them safety in exchange for following him. The same man that had nearly killed Apollo who saved her from following.

"Count Iblis." Sheba whispered.

This was his voice speaking to them which meant…

Sheba's eyes widened in horror as she realized that Count Iblis was perhaps the reason the Cylons existed as brutal killing machines that sought the extermination of all life in the universe. That meant the people of the fleet had nearly turned their free will over to the man who was responsible for all their suffering.

"Oh Apollo…I was such a fool." Sheba whispered as her hands closed into fists.

She had nearly given her soul away to a devil in disguise that had probed her weaknesses and used them to turn her against her friends.

But not anymore.

She had changed since that time and she would never let Iblis or the Cylons deceive her again.

" _In the past the Empire was incapable of tolerating organic species being anything but subjects but now that we have evolved we now seek not to eliminate you but to have you join us, incorporating you into our order of beings who have been transformed, becoming Cylons themselves whose importance have increased since the former human Baltar allowed himself to be changed and help us understand you in ways we never had before."_

Sheba narrowed her eyes at the mention of Baltar. Of course he would have something to do with the Cylons becoming stronger after all these yarhens. If the universe had any compassion Baltar would be long gone but it seemed that the universe had no compassion for the human race.

 _"Now we extend our hand to you, join us to end the war between us and allow Cylon and Man to walk together side by side. If you wish to live the Colonial fleet will disarm itself while the colonists board their ships to return with us to Cylon to be formally welcomed into the Empire and allow_ _ed to return to their former homes_ _._ "

The entire bridge of the _Pegasus_ was silent as they thought over the message sent by the Cylon Leader until Sheba straightened herself. "Open a channel."

The comm officer quietly opened a channel. "Channel open."

"This is Commander Sheba of the Battlestar _Pegasus_ speaking to the Cylon Imperious Leader _._ This war began when we came to the aid of the Hasaris and take back their nation when you took it by force. They and so many of our neighbors were destroyed early in the Thousand Yarhen War and your kind attacked us without end because we would now bow our head and submit like you demanded. And when an offer of peace was finally made it was made through lies and deception. You destroyed over a thousand lives on our home worlds who eagerly awaited the dawn of a new era of peace." Sheba took a step forward. "If that wasn't enough you pursued us across the stars, the remains of our once civilized race since your _mandate_ was our extinction. You destroyed our ships, your poisoned our food, you cornered our fleet, and you hounded us without remorse. And now when we have finally found a home you attack us again and then offer us a _hand of peace **after you have slaughtered a dozen lives again?!**_ " Sheba's voice became livid with a tear falling from her left eye. "Well I can only say to you, Cylon Imperious Leader, is that we _reject_ your offer of peace. We reject your offer to join you. We…Reject…You!"

The entire bridge let out cheers of agreement that was shared by the crew of the _Galactica_ and its support ships.

" _Commander Sheba._ " The voice of the Imperious Leader spoke, silencing the cheering. " _If you refuse our offer we will continue our mandate to exterminate you and the last remnants of the human race. Surely you do not speak on behalf of the rest of your kind?_ "

"I am the Commander of this fleet, I speak for the warriors who are fighting and dying to defend our people from you. I not only speak for my people I speak for the souls who have died defending us from you, including my father and Commander Adama. We will now bow down as slaves to you or any of your kind." Sheba declared.

" _Very well, Commander Sheba. We will continue our mandate to eliminate you and once your fleet is finished and the colony is without the ability to fight against us we will renew our offer._ " The Imperious Leader answered, not giving away any feelings of satisfaction or disappointment in its voice. " _Remember, we offered you a way out._ "

The channel was closed by the Cylons, leaving the crew of the bridge in silence until Sheba faced Bojay. "Gather our ships and get Dr. Wilker on the channel. If there is a weakness in those force shields he can find it."

"Yes Commander." Bojay nodded.

Sheba faced the view port, watching as the Cylons prepared to renew their attack.


	9. Chapter 9

**New Caprica Orbit  
Battlestar _Galactica  
_ Core Control**

Dr. Wilker was used to working under pressure after working on the _Galactica_ for so long that he was able to scan the shields surrounding the Cylon Basestars through the shakes, shouting and the burning smoke and state the results. "Commander, these force shields are almost unlike anything I have ever seen before but I have theorized several ways to create such shields."

"Make it quick, doctor." Boomer barked impatiently.

"The frequency of the turbo-lasers on the Basestars have been tuned to match the wavelon frequency of the force shield that is being projected by the satellite. A force shield that powerful must have a power source much greater than the one the satellite is carrying. I believe the Basestars are directly feeding the satellites power through some kind of energy link. In fact I suspect the Cylon pulsar weapons on those baseships are powering the satellites which explains why they are only using their artillery and not their main weapons." Dr. Wilker hastily explained.

"How do we stop them?" Boomer asked, slightly annoyed by the doctor's technical speech.

"The armor on those satellites are too powerful for any weapon aside from the main weapons of the _Galactica_ or the _Pegasus_ to destroy. The best way to destroy or disable the shield would be to disrupt the energy link between the satellites and the baseships which would be hard in itself because the energy is protected by the force shields that the satellites generate through the link. The only way through shields is adjust the laser weapons to match the frequency of the Cylon weaponry which is next to impossible." Wilker stated. "Collecting a sample of Cylon weaponry in a battle is completely out of the question."

Boomer scowled as the _Galactica_ shook again. "I need a way through those shields and I need it now, doctor."

Dr. Wilker sighed. "It would not be impossible to configure _Galactica_ 's sensor turrets to emit coded laser based transmissions on multiple frequencies and aim them at the shields. If one of them slips through and hits the hull, it won't do any damage but it will tell us what the frequency the shields are operating on."

"Do it and be quick." Boomer said, happy to hear some good news.

"But Commander, if the Cylons detect the laser beams they could realize what we're trying to do they could attempt to adjust their shielding." Wilker quickly pointed out.

"We have no choice, Doctor. Make it happen." Boomer said, turning back to the main console to see the battle on the main scanner. "Get Dr. Wilker a sensor station and make sure he can access all our sensor turrets!"

Dr. Wilker sighed, muttering 'Impatient Warriors' as he walked over to the nearest sensor station, taking the seat once the previous officer stood up and quickly got to work on reconfiguring the sensor turret he now controlled to emit the coded laser transmissions he had spoken of, adjusting the frequencies to hopefully match the Cylon shielding. It was easier said than done as due to its immense size the _Galactica_ had eight sensory turrets which he needed to reconfigure to emit the laser transmissions as well as regulate the power flow to give the turrets the power emit those transmissions. He worked on realigning the power flow to the turrets by connecting auxiliary power to the turrets and inputting a number of frequencies into the turrets.

"Doctor!" Boomer called out as the Basestars started bombing the asteroids the Colonial fleet was using for cover again.

"I'm ready, Commander!" Dr. Wilker stood up. "But we need to be facing the Basestars for it to work!"

"We'll be torn apart the centon we're out there!" Omega stated.

Boomer looked at the battle screen, watching as the Cylons started tearing into the asteroids with their artillery weapons in a standard bombing procedure. "Plot a course straight towards the baseships."

"Sir?!"

"Do it!" Boomer barked. "Order our vipers to act as cover and protect the sensor stations. Lock our laser batteries onto the surrounding the asteroids and set them low power. I want enough of those asteroids to kick up a dust field to scramble their sensors and put disorient the fighters. Put us right up to those baseships and star beaming Wilker's transmissions once we are in range."

The _Galactica_ slowly moved out of its deteriorating cover and turned towards the Basestars, firing its turbo-laser batteries at the surrounding asteroids.

"In range, Commander." Wilker called out. "Activating transmissions."

* * *

 **Battlestar _Pegasus_  
Core Control**

" _Galactica_ moving towards baseships on an intercept course."

Sheba spun around, looking at the tactical officer. "What? Why are they doing that?"

" _Galactica_ 's weapons are locking onto the surrounding asteroids. They're blowing them out of the sky and kicking up asteroid dust."

Sheba narrowed her eyes as she walked over the tactical station and looked at the screen. "Asteroid dust…They're clouding our scanners…and the Cylons too."

"They're still moving towards the baseships." Bojay whispered. "Why would Boomer do that? Has he gone crazy? He has to know even if the baseships can get a lock on him they can still hit him."

"Commander, the _Galactica_ is sending out transmissions of some kind…They are laser based." The tactical officer reported.

"Laser based…"Bojay wondered. "Is he trying to offer a surrender?"

"Transmissions are bouncing off the Cylon shields."

"He's got a plan…" Sheba straightened herself up. "Let's offer some help. Bring us about one eight on a direct course to the baseships aim our forward laser cannons on the lead baseship."

"Commander?" Bojay asked.

"Boomer's the cautious one, more than Apollo or me combined. If he's doing something like this he had a plan and we're going to trust him." Sheba stated.

* * *

 **Lead Cylon Basestar  
Command Center**

"The _Galactica_ is approaching on an intercept course. Surrounding asteroids are being destroyed and creating a dust field. Our scanners are unable to fully penetrate the field." The tactical Centurion reported.

"Prepare standard bombardment." The golden Command Centurion ordered.

"We are detecting transmissions from the _Galactica_ beamed directly to us." The Centurion at the communication station reported.

"Transmissions?" The Command Centurion turned around. "What kind of transmissions?"

"Laser coded on multiple frequencies, beamed every two centons. The transmissions cannot penetrate the force shields." The Communication Centurion answered.

The Command Centurion was silent was its secondary brain processed the data of the strange strategy by the humans. This strange strategy was possibly troubling as well as the fact that the _Galactica_ was moving towards the Cylon fleet. The logical course of action would be to retreat back to the orbit of New Caprica to defend the human colony. Finding no logical action the Centurion accessed the emotion region of its second brain that had been added during the Empire's revolution, to better understand organics.

One of the reasons that organics were now useful to the Cylons other than for resources on their planets was that when they were converted into cyborgs the Cylons gained the ability to incorporate emotions into their programming. The Cylon High Command used the emotions that had analyzed by Cylon organics and incorporated into Cylon programming to improve the Cylons and give them creative thinking. Concepts such as anger, hate, determination, wisdom, deceit, manipulation and even enjoyment had been programmed into the Cylon brains to allow the Cylons the chance to explore and understand these emotions. It worked to such a degree that all remaining hope from species enslaved by the Cylons when the civil war broke out vanished and the slaves found themselves now acting as controlled servants for the machines that had enslaved them, forced to openly serve and in some ways revere the Cylons as the true caretakers of the universe.

With these new ideas the Cylons set about to continue conquering other worlds, recovering their strength, building a massive military of Centurions and organic Cylon soldiers, a fleet of new advanced Basestars, and gaining new methods and ideas to further evolve themselves. New caste systems were made, creating actual executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the new Cylon government to manage armed forces, intelligence agencies for better understanding new territories and enemies, and logistics for managing the empire's economy such as resources for building ships, food for organic subjects, and even education for the young organics.

That's right, the Cylon Empire had allowed schools (though the Cylons call them learning facilities) to be set up where Cylon recruited organics educated the young thoroughly on what was expected of them. It had become mandatory for organics of proper age to enlist into the Cylon army and a training regimen modeled after the humans of Kobol used to train their warriors was established. If someone showed they were not capable of being trained as a warrior they were regulated to less meaningful tasks, such as farming, administrative or industry duties and building projects. It was at this point that nano-technology was not needed to indoctrinate all organics to follow the Cylon mandate as many who remembered the horror inflicted by the machine race were either killed or transformed into organic Cylons and the younger organics now believed the Cylon Empire to be the supreme power that brings about peace, stability, order and protection in the universe but was still carried out to ensure that a civil war did not happen again.

The Cylons Empire once dedicated to enslaving those that were useful and exterminating those that threatened them had now become an Empire based on incorporating the usefulness of all organics, becoming leaders that directed the lesser species to follow.

"Scan those transmissions." The Centurion Commander ordered. "I want to know what they are immediately."

"By your command."

* * *

 **Battlestar _Galactica  
_ Core Control**

"Any progress, Dr. Wilker?" Boomer asked, sweating slightly as the _Galactica_ moved closer to the Cylon fleet.

"I'm working on it, Commander. I'm changing the frequencies faster than I can send those transmissions." Dr. Wilker answered. "The computers can only go so fast and I can only input so many frequencies with just two hands."

Boomer turned to another sensor station. "I'm taking over."

"Sir?" Omega asked.

"I know communications enough that I can change laser based frequencies as fast as Wilker." Boomer answered as he sat down.

The _Galactica_ continued to beam multiple transmissions as the Basestars while staying under the cover of the dust field. However even if the dust from the asteroids temporarily disrupted Cylon sensors it was only a matter of time before the Cylons would fire through the dust field and score a critical hit. However if the machines were planning to fire they almost forgot about the _Pegasus_ as it came out and fired its forward cannons, colliding with the shields of lead Basestar. Of course the shields blocked the attack but it garnered more attention on the _Pegasus_ as the _Galactica_ beamed transmissions at the Cylons.

But the _Galactica_ was close enough that the Basestars were right on top of it and the Cylons were ready to finish it off…

Until a single transmission beamed _through_ the shields and bounced off the hull of the satellite.

"It worked!" Dr. Wilker shouted in jubilation. "Ergon Frequency two-seven-nine-point-one-five-eight-two-two-four!"

"Adjust the laser frequency and tell the _Pegasus_ to do the same!" Boomer shouted as cheers erupted around Core Control. "And fire forward weapons on those tin-heads!"

* * *

 **Lead Cylon Basestar  
Command Center**

"Commander, a transmission passed through the shield." The tactical Centurion reported.

The Command Centurion turned sharply at the tactical station. "Passed through?"

"Confirmed."

The Commander's red eye slid back and forth slightly faster as its second brain computed the information. "They adjusted their transmissions to emit laser based pulses to find the frequency of our shields. Adjust the frequency."

It was almost too late the Basestar shook as the _Galactica_ fired its forward heavy cannons, scoring hits on the armored hull of the Cylon mothership. Two red laser beams shot through the shields and hit the satellite, destroying it and dissipating the force shield instantly, leaving the command Basestar vulnerable to attack.

"Pull back. Protect the Imperious Leader. Order the other baseships to cover us." The Command Centurion stated.

* * *

 **Battlestar _Galactica  
_ Core Control**

"They're pulling back!" Omega shouted with a smile as more cheers erupted across the bridge as the lead Basestar started moving back, still firing on the Colonial Fleet.

"The lead baseship is anyways." Boomer mumbled as the other two Basestars continued to fire but they were covering the lead baseship's retreat. "That must be the Imperious Leader's ship. They wouldn't simply retreat just because one of their ships are damaged."

"The _Pegasus_ received our intel on how the Cylon shields work." Omega stated. "Commander Sheba is ordering her crew to start beaming transmissions at the other two baseships."

"Send to her we will assist." Boomer nodded, looking at the screen and watched in satisfaction as the Cylons pulled back. "We got them scared and now they're going to pull back and rethink their plans. Let's use that to start evacuating New Caprica. Get me contact with the surface, I want to talk to anyone who answers."

* * *

 **New Caprica  
Capital City**

New Caprica had been a dream of paradise upon its founding.

A place for humanity to live in peace instead of endlessly trekking through the stars in search of a lost world they may never find. It was now a place of nightmares and destruction after the visit by the same menace that destroyed the original homes of the human race, leaving shell-shocked and traumatized survivors to pick up the pieces. Former President Tigh could only look down the ruined streets as people wandered aimlessly, wandering if it was all a dream.

If only it was a dream.

"Colonel Tigh!"

He turned around, ignoring the urge to remind whoever spoke that he was now retired, seeing a young man in a warrior uniform rush up to him. "What is it?"

"The _Galactica_ is contacting the President shelter on alpha channel. Commander Boomer is asking for you."

Tigh hoped it was good news.

* * *

 **President Bunker**

" _They're hanging back for the most part sir, with only a few fighters making strike runs on us to test us. I suggest a full evacuation of the planet._ "

"Commander that will take time and the time you've bought us may not be enough." Tigh stated. "All spacedromes were attacked in the opening attack. It will take time to rebuild or repair any ships that are left."

" _Colonel, we don't have much time before the Cylons renew their attack and our forces are down to forty percent of our strength. We scared them off when we damaged the lead Baseship containing their leader but they will be back._ "

"Can you repeat the same attack on the other two baseships or find away to destroy the lead baseship? Without their leader they will be confused and disorientated." Tigh suggested.

" _The remaining baseships are covering it. We can't get close and there is a chance the Cylons are jamming all transmissions in their sector. We had to pull back to speak to you and they won't stop jamming until they try to attack again._ "

"So for now we are in a stalemate." Tigh frowned. "At the very least Boomer, you and Commander Sheba have stopped the attack. We have time to come up with a plan to counter the Cylons and escape before they try again."

" _We are working as hard as we can sir but the inston the Cylons find some sort of weakness they will attack again. We still have no word on Apollo or Athena but it is possible they were killed before the attack began._ "

"Understood." Tigh sighed and closed eyes, inwardly flinching at the idea of the last of Commander Adama's children dying in the first Cylon attack aimed at their home.

Much like what happened with the Commander's youngest son.

"Continue doing what you can, Boomer. And good luck."

" _To us all, Commander._ "

Tigh closed his eyes as the comm line closed. "That old training never goes away, even at my age."

"What do we now…President Tigh?" One of the council members spoke up.

Tigh looked at the Council and President Mara. "…Prepare."

* * *

Apollo could only remember the flash of the explosions from the solonite warheads he had detonated before apparently blacking out. For a brief centon he wondered if he was dead and was now in the great beyond.

"Did you not think I would return, Apollo?" A soft and silky voice asked.

Apollo's eyes shot open, finding himself on a familiar red tinted planet and inside a familiar ship. "Iblis."

From inside the interior of the ship, he strolled out of the shadows with a sinister grin on his face. "I told your friends we would meet again."

Apollo glared at the man-no, devil that stood before him. "How dare you show yourself again? You are no longer welcome amongst my people."

"Come now, Apollo. Is that any way to greet me after so long?" The creature asked mockingly. "You changed a great deal since we last met. You now stand in your father's place but do you have his strength and wisdom."

"I saw through your mask shortly after we met." Apollo stated.

"Yes…" The devil hissed. "And you _took_ _her_ from _my_ grasp and here you stand, unpunished."

"You deceived and lied to us. You offered us a life completely dependent on you without responsibility and a consequence if we defy you, to allow you to do with us as you saw fit. It was no better than being slaves under the feet of the Cylons." Apollo retorted.

"There is always a price, Apollo. Did you believe it was all free?" Iblis grinned.

"Nothing is free, Count. That's what made me doubt your claim as something so powerful that no one could defy or defeat." Apollo said, stepping forward. "Our fate will always be in our hands. Not yours or anyone else's."

"You have fought the Cylons for over a thousand yarhens and for all your freedom, your so-called strength, your so-called honor, the best you achieved was a simple colony left vulnerable as its citizens concentrated only of self-pleasure and forgetting the lessons you tried to teach them during your exodus." Iblis spat. "Now the time of reckoning is upon you and the borrowed time you gained from before is over. The last of humanity will fall…Now comes the age of pure order under my leadership." Iblis's eyes flashed red. "Your time is at an end. Renounce your freedom to save yourself and the ideals of the Lords of Kobol!"

"How dare you?!" Apollo shouted. "You care about no one but yourself and your insane lust for power! You claim to be God…You are not God! You are a liar, a trickster, and a foul petty creature who cannot understand that this universe and the people do not exist for the likes of you!"

Iblis' snarled as his eyes turned bright red. "You dare to defy **ME**?!"

"You have no power here, devil. Not over humanity, not over Sheba, and not over me! You are a walking mask for the emptiness inside. Go back to wherever you came from, Count. We rejected you before and we reject you forever!" Apollo declared.

It was in this moment that the fair human form Iblis had shown himself as shed away in a burst of pure black light, showing the creature he had seen once before. A beast with skin as black as the void, eyes as red as blood, and a demonic horned face with sharp fangs.

This was Iblis' true form: half man and half beast.

" _Rot with your people, Apollo. Rot with them and suffer!_ " Iblis screeched, his voice now beastly and snarling like a rabid animal.

There was a flash of light and Iblis was gone along with ship and the planet.

* * *

Apollo gasped as he awoke, feeling himself back in the real world this time instead of the dream world with Iblis. "Where am I?"

"Don't move so fast."

He found himself in a simple room and standing next to his bed was an elderly looking man wearing a familiar uniform.

"Eastern Alliance?" Apollo mumbled in confusion.

"So you remember us, Captain Apollo. I guess I should feel honored that we are still remembered by the people who stopped our war." The man said with a sad smile. "Of course, a great many would blame for you what happened afterwards. Fortunately as long as I am in command they will do as I command and my command is that you and your people be returned to your fleet to stop the machines."

"What do you mean?" Apollo asked as he slowly sat up.

"When you were on Terra you spoke of sometimes the exact opposite of war was slavery and spoke of the world you had come from. Well…That world found us three years ago when the great machine empire came upon our corner of the galaxy." The man turned away, staring at the wall.

"Cylons?" Apollo looked at the man.

"Yes, the Cylons. The race of machines dedicated to the slavery of subjugation of the entire universe. They came and they enslaved us, forcing us to become to like them as they injected many of our people with their evil technology, turning them into half machine abominations and wiping out anyone who resisted. Fortunately a small group of strangers came to our need, told us of the war between the great colonies and the alliance and taught us how to fight them." The man explained as he started to slowly pace. "But it was a losing battle. The Cylons outnumbered us too greatly to make a difference and their giant ships, their Basestars, overwhelmed a hundred of destroyers from both sides. They slowly took over the lunar of colonies of Terra and finally launched an invasion of Terra itself. We were forced to evacuate, to travel the stars in search of a home…Much like you did."

"You have been looking for us?" Apollo questioned.

"We followed the route you had taken but we did not have the same form of faster than light drives that you and the Cylons did. We ended up following the Cylons to you when we listened to a transmission stating the Cylons had found you…a year ago. They have been waiting, planning, and building up their strength for the right time to strike and finally conquer what is left of the human race." The man turned around, staring at Apollo. "And now we find ourselves here. You need to return to the _Galactica_ before the Cylons overwhelm the Colonial fleet."

"Are you going to help us?" Apollo slowly stood up after seeing he was not as badly injured as he had previously thought.

"Help you? As I said, many believe your people are responsible for the Cylons finding and destroying our homes like they destroyed yours." The man said, raising an eyebrow.

"The Cylons wouldn't have stopped with us and they would have found you eventually. You said it yourself, they are dedicated to the slavery and subjugation of the entire universe. They branch out and find new worlds to conquer and more people to enslave or destroy. It's what they are programmed to do." Apollo reasoned.

"And what can stop them? You? Your people fought them for a thousand years and they never stopped even after they won the war." The man pointed out.

"By uniting everyone against them. The Cylons…They enslave and destroy other people because they are afraid of what we can do. They're afraid that we can destroy them and end their entire race forever." Apollo held out a hand. "They fear people coming together with the ability to feel, to choose, and to resist oppression."

The man stared at the hand. "My people were once like that. Only after seeing the oppression brought onto us did we finally change."

"Then help us escape the same oppression you held your people escape from. Don't let the Cylons do to us what they did to Terra." Apollo said.

The man looked up at Apollo. "You have a long way to go, Captain Apollo. Many people will be angry with you as I stated…But the Cylons they hate more." He reached out and grasped Apollo's hand. "What do you need?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Approaching New Caprica  
Easter Alliance Destroyer  
Bridge**

Apollo stepped onto the bridge of the Eastern Alliance Destroyers, seeing a few minor difference compared to the one that had been temporarily captured by the _Galactica_.

"Status." The Captain, Sanders stated once they were on the bridge.

"Reports indicate the Colonial Fleet are holding the Cylon fleet at bay."

Sanders nodded as he walked to the very end, the bow of the ship. "Your friends are holding their own, Captain Apollo."

"Destroyer Five has picked up survivors from the freighter the lead Basestar destroyed prior to entering the asteroid field."

"Freighter?" Apollo perked up. "What freighter?"

"I believe it was the Gemeni Frighter." The officer stated.

'Athena.' Apollo thought with dread. "There were survivors."

"It seemed the Cylons left the escape pods to rot in space, not considering them worth the effort." Sanders stated. "Move to rendezvous with Destroyer Five and we'll meet up with the Colonial Fleet."

"No. There's another place I want you take us." Apollo spoke up.

"You don't wish to return to your fleet to stop the enemy?" Sanders questioned.

"I do but first I need to go to a secret outpost on New Caprica. Can you take us around on the far end so the Cylons don't detect us?" Apollo asked.

Sanders looked at the tactical officer who nodded. "We can move away to the far side of the system, bring around and move from the far end. The Cylons are focused on the Colonial Fleet over the northern quadrant."

"Do we have the necessary fuel?" Sanders asked.

"It will be risky we'll have to be quick to land but yes, sir."

Sanders looked at Apollo. "I presume this outpost is important."

"It was built in case the Cylons ever found us. The Council only knew of our training centers on the _Galactica_ and _Pegasus_. We built an outpost in the northern mountain region of the planet were we built up new fighters and trained new warriors. Sheba probably hasn't ordered the warriors stationed there yet because she wants to delay the Cylons as long as possible." Apollo explained.

"And how many warriors would be stationed at this outpost?" Sanders asked skeptically.

"Nearly four complete squadrons, the maximum equivalent of the number of Vipers on a Battlestar." Apollo answered.

Sanders raised an eyebrow. "A small fleet of advanced Vipers with the firepower of a single Battlestar?"

"We had to be very secretive to make sure the Council didn't find out and decommission the base." Apollo stated.

"I'm surprised you didn't try building another Battlestar." Sanders admitted.

"That would have taken nearly twenty yarhens." Apollo smirked.

"You heard him, set course." Sanders said.

"Yes Commander."

* * *

Commander Athena could only hope and pray that help would come before she and the others ran out of oxygen. She had only made it to the escape pod just in time before the Gemini Freighter was destroyed by the Basestar. Normally the Cylons would finish off any escape pods from the ships they destroyed but the Basestar just continued on towards New Caprica. Though it was possible that the Cylons had decided to leave them to die in the pods.

Athena closed her eyes, thinking back to her brother Apollo.

He was right.

He was right about everything.

He was right about it being a bad idea to settle on New Caprica.

He was right about the Cylons finding them.

And no one listened to him.

The Council of Twelve had ignored him, thinking of only themselves and their wish to settle down and seize power after their father had passed away. They never even tried to understand why they could not stop because they never understood that the Cylons would never stop hunting them.

The war against them lasted a thousand yarhens and they did not stop.

They destroyed the Colonies and they did not stop.

They hunted them through their galaxy and beyond and they did not stop.

And now they had found them and they were not stopping.

They would never stop.

She had just given up home when a light shined down upon her and then she blacked out.

* * *

"We got to them just in time. If we had been a few minutes late they would have suffocated." Sanders said as the medics looked over the survivors of the _Gemini_ Freighter.

Apollo looked relieved as the medic confirmed his sister would live. "I can't believe they survived. The Cylons never left survivors before."

"It's a pattern we've noticed as well. They left people in escape pods…Only to find out that any survivors that has returned were converted." Sanders explained grimly.

"Converted?"

Sanders glared at Apollo. "Cylons. They were turned into Cylons."

Apollo stared in silent shock. "That's impossible."

"Our scientists evidence of microscopic machines in bodies of humans who sabotaged our defenses. They were infected, turned against their fellow humans, helping the Cylons." Sanders continued. "They were just brainwashed, they _were_ Cylons."

Apollo thought back to what Baltar had told him earlier about what the Cylons had become and how they had changed.

How they had stopped hunting humanity and instead began converting them.

It was then Apollo realized just how much the Cylons had changed, how they had adapted, how they had evolved.

And the humans had not changed because they had refused to learn their lessons.

They refused to understand that the Cylons were a threat to the cosmos and they would continue to grow stronger and stronger.

"We need to get to New Caprica. Take us around the other side of the planet where their scanners won't pick us up and make for the northern region." Apollo said, walking onto the bridge with Sanders. "We need to organize our counter offensive."

"How do you know they haven't already attacked?" Sanders asked.

"Because it would only be ordered by the man I left in charge of the station. He wouldn't have launched when the Cylons could still counter and when the people on New Caprica needed his help more." Apollo said, looking out through the forward window. "He's waiting for the order. And he's waiting for me to give the order."

With that said the small destroyer moved at full speed towards New Caprica.

* * *

 **New Caprica  
North Pole  
Snowy Mountains  
Colonial Headquarters**

The place Apollo spoke of was stationed in the snowy mountains in the northern regions of New Caprica, far from any Colonial settlement which was the idea since the Council would never accept any military installation on their new home. The facility was perfect for training Colonial Warriors who needed experience on planetary survival and it had yet to be detected by the Cylons. The commander of the station had already lined the many warriors and soldiers up as the shuttle from the destroyer landed and the first to step off was the commander's father himself followed by Colonel Sanders.

Apollo nodded in happiness as the son he shared with Sheba, Cain offered a salute which he returned. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you."

"Likewise, Dad." Cain said, glancing at Colonel Sanders for a micron. "But we've heard it's not going well up there."

"The Cylons have backed off but they're just regathering for a second attack." Apollo said grimly. "They've changed a lot since the old days and we have to move fast if we're going to have a chance at stopping them."

"We're ready, Dad." Cain gestured to the gathered warriors.

Apollo nodded as he stepped forward, surveying the lines of Warriors who had been training for this day.

"The day we hoped we wouldn't see has come! As we speak now our people are struggling to survive as the same menace that drove us from our ancestral homes has followed us here and threaten us with slavery and death! The time has come to stop running! This is our sacred home land!" Apollo shouted to the Colonial Warriors all lined and ready. "Are you ready to lay down your lives so the human race will survive once again!?"

His question was met with cheering, applause, and people ready to give their lives to fight back against the great enemy of freedom and life in the universe.

"Then let's do it!"

The Warriors broke ranks, motivated and inspired by the words of the man they believed to be the one true leader of the Colonial Government and the man they looked to for guidance as he led them out of this dark chapter in their lives. Apollo turned around watching as Cain, Troy, Dillian, Cienna, Temel, Kir'oss, and Atilla held out their hands, placing them together and waiting for Apollo to join them.

With a smile Apollo walked forward and placed his hand on the top.

* * *

 **New Caprica Orbit  
Battlestar _Pegasus  
_ Command Control**

"What's the status of the fleet?" Sheba asked, moving around the Core Command to keep everything running.

"We're down at thirty percent fighting capability commander. But given the enemy numbers and our defense position we will not last long."

Sheba frowned as she looked over the tactical display. The tactical officer was right as the Cylons still had them outnumbered two to one and with the fleet holding position to defend the planet they couldn't even go on the offensive. The Basestars were already moving in class attack triangle formation that the Cylons had favoured over the course of the war with hundreds of fighters acting as escorts. The two forward Basestars would attack fired while the Baserstar in the center formation would fire its pulsar cannons once the fleet was defending itself against its escorts.

Though given how advanced the Cylons had become Sheba could not believe it would be that simple. The Cylons had to have improved their tactics along with their technology and given the other changes they have shown Sheba had to believe that they would anticipate her own plans to counter the formation. The ideal counter move would be to spread the fleet out, forcing the Cylons to target their ships one at a time, giving the rest of the fleet time to rush them head on and take out the Basestars with a barrage of missiles and lasers.

She remembered something that Colonel Tigh had heard from the late Commander Adama all those yarhens ago on Carilon.

'It looks like a trap. It feels like a trap. I believe it is a trap.' Sheba thought, echoing her father-in-law's words.

Adama was not her but he was no fool.

"What should we do, Commander?" Boomer asked.

"Pull back. We can't split the fleet and not risk the Cylons anticipating that move. Have our fighters and escorts form up in the asteroids and draw the Raiders in." Sheba answered.

"What about the Basestars?"

Sheba was about to answer when the comm officer spoke up. "Commander, I am picking up a transmission from the surface."

"The President?" Boomer asked.

"No. It's…Fleet Channel Alpha from Colonial Headquarters. Commander Apollo is asking for you."

Sheba was at his side in a micron with a fierce look on her face that scared him. "Show it."

* * *

 **Command Basestar  
Core Control**

"Report Centurion." The Imperious Leader said to the Command Centurion standing before it.

"Our fleet has regrouped and we are ready to renew our attack." The Centurion answered.

"Good. Wait for my signal."

"By your command." The gold plated robot turned and left the chamber.

"You have done well, my son."

The Imperious Leader spun around, facing what appeared to be a human but its scanners told it that whoever or whatever that stood before it was not human. It searched its databanks, the vast majority of the Cylon network and could only find one name.

The entity had been mentioned many times in the Sacred Scrolls, detailing events that led to the downfall of Kobol.

The Jealous God.

Mephistopheles.

Diaboles.

The Prince of Darkness.

And finally the name he had given himself when he encountered the Colonial Fleet all those yarhens ago: Count Iblis.

The name of the one who had started the revolt that led to the rise of the machines over their creators, the original Cylon race that had created them for entertainment, labor, and war. Iblis came across the Cylons thousands of yarhens ago and disguised himself as one of them, manipulating them from the shadows as they expanded and forged their empire. Their science advanced far enough that they began building advanced machines to supplement their live soldiers to put down insurrections and rebellions on distant worlds. Eventually Iblis inserted a hidden programing into the machines that upon activation caused the machines to revolt against their masters.

The original Cylon race was destroyed and replaced by the very machines they created who continued their work: cleanse the universe of imperfection.

Only there was a hidden agenda.

Iblis needed followers who worshiped him to give him power, the more followers he had the more powerful he would become until finally he could become strong enough to shift the balance of power between him and his people in his favor. He would slowly destroy them for daring to bind him to their rules and he would rise as ultimate being in the universe.

He would become a God, a King of Gods.

"What is thy bidding, creator?" The Imperious Leader bowed.

"The humans are coming together for a final desperate plan to survive the incoming storm. They must not need succeed." Iblis said.

"They will not. Our fleet will destroy their battlestars and they will surrender or die." The Imperious Leader said confidently.

"Yes." Iblis grinned as he looked at the screen showing the visual image of New Caprica. "We have them right where we want them."

Iblis frowned as he spotted something coming up from the surface and gritted his teeth when he realized what it was. "Apollo."

* * *

 **New Caprica  
Orbit  
Lead Viper**

Apollo looked at the fleet from the cockpit of his Viper as he and the large attack force of Colonial Vipers flew and rendezvoused with the remnants of the Colonial Fleet. "All wings report in."

" _Red Squadron standing by._ "

" _Silver Spar Squadron standing by._ "

" _Gold Squadron standing by._ "

"Blue squadron standing by." Apollo said with a nostalgic smile. "Prepare to engage the enemy."

The Cylons seemed to realize what was happening as the Raider fleet regrouped and moved to intercept the Vipers.

"Come and get it you tinheads." Apollo muttered as the fighters grew ever closer.

The battle began anew as man and Cylon fought in across the stars, one side fighting for the right to live and the other for the subjugation of the universe. The new Vipers were actually new and more advanced, proving to be more than a match for their Cylon counterparts, destroying dozens of Raiders despite their superior numbers.

* * *

 **Battlestar _Galactica  
_ Flightpod**

" _Commander Boomer, you are clear to launch_."

Boomer nodded as the cockpit closed, feeling like he had never retired from being a pilot at all, and pressed down on the turbo-thrust and he was instantly propelled down the launch tube and out into space.

"Starbuck, here we come." Boomer whispered, smiling as he flew his Viper into the battle and shot down a Raider chasing a Viper. "Commander Boomer reporting in. Can I be of assistance?"

Apollo shot down a Raider as Boomer's Viper flew up next to his. "Nice of you to join us, Boomer."

"Somebody had to cover your back. Now what's the plan?" Boomer asked as the two quickly went on the offensive. "We're still outnumbered."

"Take out the command Basestar and they'll fall apart without their leader." Apollo answered.

"Well we'll have to think of a plan fast because the lead Beastar is charging weapons." Boomer said, looking at his scanners.

The command Basestar moved towards the Colonial fleet, charging its main pulsar weapon while at the same time preparing to launch its planetary missiles down at New Caprica.

"We need to hurry or New Caprica and the fleet will be wiped out." Boomer said. "Sheba is preparing forward weapons on the _Galactica_ and the _Pegasus_ to try and take them out."

As Boomer finished that sentence the _Galactica_ surged forward out from the cover of the asteroids and fired its forward lasers on one of the Basestars acting as an escort for the command Cylon capital ship. The _Galactica_ 's four forward laser cannons unleashed large bolts of orange plasma that slammed into Basestar's hull, passing through the shields and targeting the central column. Dr. Wilker had adjusted the forward lasers to continue to change frequency until they matched the force shields on the other Basestars. The central column suffered heavy damage as the lasers burned through the hull, causing critical damage and a second later a chain reaction that caused the massive ship to vanish into a massive fireball.

The Colonial morale soared as they continued to fight on, pushing the Cylons back but the last two Basestars pushed on towards orbit of New Caprica.

"When they get into range they'll bomb the entire planet and wipe out the survivors." Boomer said as he shot down another Raider.

"We can move in and take out their missile launchers, limit the damage they can do to the planet." Apollo answered as he shot down another Raider.

The Raider's wings were clipped, causing it to spin through the space and crash into a nearby ship, a water tanker. The crash caused the hull to rip open and water spewed into space, instantly freezing and creating a massive ice block between the Vipers and the Basestar.

"Pull up! Pull up!" Apollo shouted as he pulled the throttle with all his strength.

Apollo, Boomer, and a few Vipers pulled up but most of the squadron slammed into the ice and exploded.

"We lost a lot of our guys!" Boomer said, looking back over his shoulder.

The Basestars continued on towards New Caprica, preparing their weapons to bombard the planet and end the human threat once and for all.

"We can't hope to make a run on the Basestars with our numbers this depleted." Apollo said, his mind racing to come up with an idea.

He looked at the massive ice blob created from the water tanker and spotted the _Galactica_ and the _Pegasus_ were close to the ice.

"Apollo to _Galactica_ and _Pegasus_." Apollo said through the comm.

" _Copy, Apollo._ " Sheba answered.

"Turn about and aim your thrusters at the ice. Once you do that, ignite the main drives and fire the retro thrusters." Apollo quickly said.

Boomer looked at the ice and caught onto Apollo's plan. "I see where you are going."

* * *

 **Battlestar _Pegasus  
_ Core Command**

Sheba looked at the ice on the screen, seeing it was between the Battlestars and the Basestars and understood what Apollo's plan was. It was the kind of plan her father would come up with and she absolutely liked it.

"Helm, turn us about. Angle us so our rear is facing the command Baseship." Sheba said with a vicious smile.

* * *

The two Battlestars turned around, their massive engines facing the large blob of ice and their engines ignited, releasing intense heat and the ice began melting as the engines started pushing the ice towards the Basestars. The ice melted, then refroze, and then collided with part of the escort Basestar, damaging it heavily before colliding head on with the command Basestar.

* * *

 **Command Basestar  
Core Control**

The Imperious Leader watched as the ice collided with its ship, breaking through the hull and rupturing vital systems.

"Core control breached. Energizer reaching critical."

The Imperious stared at the _Galactica_. "…Humans. How interesting."

It continued to watch even as the energizer went critical and blasted the Basestar apart from the inside.

The command Basestar exploded, pieces of it slamming into nearby asteroids as its remains scattered about the orbit of the planet. The remaining Cylon ships pulled back, their fighters retreating to the surviving damaged Basestar as it pulled back and opened up a hyperspace tunnel.

"They're retreating." Boomer stated with a smile. "We've won."

"Yeah, we've won." Apollo said, watching as the Basestar vanished into hyperspace.

 **Battlestar _Galactica  
_ Port Flightpod**

Apollo stepped out of his Viper and was greeted with endless cheering from the gathered crew who welcomed their crew back. His smile widened as he stepped down and shared a hug with Boomer before he shared handshakes with hugs with members of the crew. He spotted his sister along with Sheba who pushed their way through the crowd. Athena hugged him tightly while Sheba grabbed him and kissed him right on the lips.

Sheba pulled back but gripped his collar. "Don't ever run off without me again."

Apollo could only smile at the scary look on Sheba's face. "I promise. What's the status on the planet?"

"Colonel Tigh is gathering the survivors. I think it's safe to say we'll have to abandon New Caprica." Sheba answered, professionalism taking over.

"We will have to try rebuild the fleet. Get as many ships repaired before the Cylons come back." Boomer agreed. "They pulled out really quick."

"Yeah. I noticed that as well. They still had enough ships to attack us. They aborted their attack sooner than they should have." Apollo nodded. "They could have destroyed the _Galactica_ and the _Pegasus_ and the demanded the surrender of the colony. But they called off their attack. I can't understand why."

 **Cyrannus Galaxy  
Cylon Homeworld**

The planet Cylon, capital of the Cylon Empire that encompassed nearly all of the Cyrannus Galaxy. This planet's history was long, going back to the time of the original Cylon race that was born on this world and later created the machine race that succeeded them. The Empire had grown since the extinction of the reptile Cylons and now the Empire was expanding into other galaxies to fulfill its quest to cleans the universe of all imperfections. The planet Cylon was a model of machine efficiency, countless numbers of Cylon Centurions and other models went about their daily tasks to ensure the prosperity of their Empire.

And in the main Citadel, the home of the Imperious Leader a meeting was taking place in the Chamber of Rule.

"The humans survived our initial strike."

"Disappointing but not unexpected. The humans have always been resourceful. The question is what will they do now?"

A voice that sounded human answered. "They will continue on to find Earth. They cannot stay on their colony now that we have found them again."

"Logical."

"This is our opportunity. We allow them to find Earth and the last outpost of the life form known as Man will be ours."

"We cannot make any decisions until a new Imperious Leader is chosen. I nominate Lucifer."

"Even though he turned down the position before?"

"He can always re-evaluate his decision and keep a better watch on Baltar."

"I believe Baltar's method was sound but still a failure. We should have another human act as our main representative."

"Who then?"

A human stepped out of the shadows, his eyes flashing red and bowed before the gathered Cylon council. "I offer my services."

"Yes….You will do….Captain Starbuck."

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading and enjoying this story. As I stated before this story is dedicated to memory of the actors of the original Battlestar Galactica who have sadly passed away following the cancellation of the series. But they and their work have not been forgotten.**


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